Great Courses: From Jesus to Constantine by Bart D. Ehrman

 After the death of Jesus Christ, his followers grew and spread across the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Believers in different regions developed a variety of beliefs about who Jesus was and what he taught. Many believers came under persecution from both the Romans and local authorities. In this series of 24 lectures, Ehrman follows the spread of Christianity, discusses the variations of beliefs, the causes and affects of persecution, and traces how the orthodoxy recognized by most modern Christians came to be adopted. 

I am particularly interested in this early Christian time period so I was excited to see this offering by the Great Courses. I have listened to Great Courses lectures by Ehrman before.  He does not, himself, seem to be a believer, but he is a careful and knowledgeable scholar. At times he lets a little bit of scoffing coming into his voice, as if he delights in disproving peoples' cherished beliefs, but mostly he just gives facts and informed analysis of events as he sees them. Ehrman is an engaging lecturer, and I enjoyed this series overall. (12 hrs, 2004)