Working on a research paper and really not overly familiar with Eastern European/Early Christianity and not really sure where to start my research.
Any advice/suggestions appreciated.
May I suggest our readling list? Boyarin and Dunn are probably especially useful for you.
These are copy/pasted from my candidacy list, so some are pretty dense, but these books are all about how Christian and Greco-Roman ideals started to merge with the ascent of Christianity:
*Peter Brown, The Making of Late Antiquity (1978)
*Peter Brown, Power and Persuasion in Late Antiquity (1992)
*Averil Cameron, Christianity and the Rhetoric of Empire: The Development of Christian Discourse (1991)
*H. A. Drake, Constantine and the Bishops: The Politics of Intolerance (2000)
*Ramsay MacMullen, Christianizing the Roman Empire (1984)
*Robert Markus, The End of Ancient Christianity (1990)
*Claudia Rapp, Holy Bishops in Late Antiquity: The Nature of Christian Leadership in an Age of Transition (2005)
I would start with Peter Brown. He is pretty approachable, I would even add his book on the Cult of the Saints if you want to explore that particular aspect. Ramsay MacMulen is pretty good too. I would also check out his book "The Second Church."
Robin Lane Fox's Pagans and Christians will take you up to Constantine if you want a prelude.