Say I'm a Christian during the late third century, just before the Diocletianic persecutions. What sort of works am I reading to broaden my scope of Christianity? Would the texts be considered illegal? Like, aside from faith through Jesus and all of that, what would I do to affirm my faith? Secret services? Underground meetings?
Would it be possible for you to pick a specific region? What Christians in Syria believed is very different than those living in Rome, or Athens.