Jesus -- The Jewish context of the Jesus movement -- The Greek and Roman context of early Christianity -- The Jesus movement in the first century -- Christian diversity in the second and third centuries -- The emergence of a proto-orthodox Christian consensus: bishop, creed, and canon of scripture -- Roman society and the Christians -- Christian intellectuals -- Proto-orthodox Christian communities in the third century -- Diocletian, the great persecution, and the conversion of Constantine -- The Christian empire and the imperial church -- The government of the church -- The Trinitarian controversy -- Jesus, the God/Man -- Worship and piety in the Christian empire -- The ascetic movement -- Fourth- and fifth-century Christian thinkers -- Conversion and Christianization -- The eastern and western churches go their separate ways -- Epilogue: Muhammad and Islam.