From Jesus to Constantine: A History of Early Christianity, Prof. Bart D. Ehrman (24 Lectures / 30 Minutes Per Lecture / 12x CD - The Great Courses)
 
This course offers a compelling historical investigation into how a small group of Jewish followers of a crucified teacher transformed into the official religion of the Roman Empire. Rather than approaching the subject from a theological or devotional perspective, Professor Bart D. Ehrman utilizes the historical-critical method to examine the first three centuries of the Christian movement. He meticulously traces the transition from the "historical Jesus" to the established church under Emperor Constantine, highlighting the immense internal diversity of early Christian groups—including those often labeled as "heretical," such as Gnostics and Marcionites - Who competed to define what Christianity would eventually become.
Throughout the 24 lectures, Ehrman explores the social and political factors that allowed Christianity to spread within the Pagan Roman world. He addresses pivotal questions regarding the authorship of the New Testament, the development of the Trinity, and why the Roman state shifted from sporadic persecution to official endorsement. By analyzing primary texts and archaeological evidence, the course provides a vivid portrait of the "lost Christianities" of the past and explains how the Orthodox tradition ultimately emerged victorious, forever changing the course of Western civilization.
 
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