From Maier's "Heresy, Households, and Diversity":
1. What was the role of "hospitality" and women in the diversity of early Christianity?
2. Why were the bishops often opposed to independent household gatherings of Christians?
3. Once Constantine became emperor and Christianity became a state-sponsored religion, why were public church buildings and the Eucharist important for establishing "orthodox" Christianity (the "Catholic" church)?
4. Once Constantine became emperor and Christianity became a state-sponsored religion, how did Christians continue to resist state, imperial restrictions on Christian practice?
From Wilken, chapter 18:
1. What was the role of "traveling prophets" and how did bishops and other authority figures respond to them?
2. Explain the organization of early churches and why bishops felt that "councils" were necessary as a result.
3. What were some of the issues that council participants discussed? What issues were they responding to?
4. What is the relationship between Christianity becoming a state-sponsored religion and the emergence of the idea of the "catholic," universal church in the 4th century? How did the former lead to the latter?