The faith that conquered the Roman Empire was not born in calm consensus-it was forged in a state of chaotic, intellectual civil war. Move past the myth of seamless transition and enter the explosive arena where the core doctrines of the Western world were not revealed, but fiercely debated, negotiated, and imposed. This documentary history dissects the monumental conflicts that determined the very nature of Jesus, the structure of authority, and the identity of the nascent global religion between 30 CE and 451 CE. Prepare to confront the definitive historical evidence and the ultimate high-stakes questions: The Identity Crisis: When early followers asked, "Who can belong?" the ensuing battle over Covenantal Adherence threatened to make the faith an exclusive ethnic sect, requiring a radical theological intervention to survive. The Godhead Unbound: Trace the controversial evolution of Christ's identity from prophet to cosmic figure. Witness the decades-long, global war over a single Greek term that forced emperors to intervene and exiled bishops (like Athanasius) who refused to compromise Christ's eternal nature. The Gospel Wars: Discover why dozens of Christ-biographies were declared "forgeries," and how the pursuit of a fixed list of authoritative writings involved silencing rival narratives, esoteric teachers, and the voices of powerful female figures. The Purity Test: Examine the internal horror caused by mass apostasy during imperial hostility. The trauma of those who denied the faith to save their lives ignited the schisms of Novatianism and Donatism-agonizing institutional controversies over whether the assembly was a body of saints, or a hospital authorized to grant infinite mercy. The Power Shift: Analyze the systematic transformation of female leadership, from the "Apostle to the Apostles" (Mary Magdalene) and prophesying women, into figures mandated to silence and submission, a necessary compromise to gain social respectability within the rigid patriarchy of the Roman state. The Unholy Alliance: Witness the definitive moment of rupture: the persecuting power of Rome was replaced by the overwhelming patronage of Emperor Constantine. Explore the immediate, corrupting influx of state wealth and the political coercion that defined the final doctrinal settlements at Nicaea and Chalcedon. This book is a rigorous, professional exploration of the theological, political, and social compromises required for an outlaw movement to become an empire-spanning entity. Every central tenet you think you know was once a matter of furious, unsettled debate. If you believe the story of the faith is finished, you haven't seen the beginning.