This is the first of two courses examining the history of the Christian church.  Beginning with the Acts of the Apostles, this course provides a detailed study of key figures and their role in the development of Christian orthodoxy with specific attention paid to various issues including: orthodoxy and heresy; the social, political and theological context of the early church; doctrinal developments such as that of the Trinity and Christology; and church practice.  Students gain familiarity with these eras through a combination of video lectures, historical surveys and primary source texts from a wide array of early church fathers