Judging from this last crop of Q&As, I have the impression that some of you are still expecting a course mainly about doctrinal or ritual details in the development of various branches of Christianity. Much of this is fascinating stuff, of course (and you are quite welcome to read books about it at your leisure) but for our purposes it is essentially travelogue -- colorful detail that makes little sense without a grounding in the guy who started it and an understanding of how to make sense of those pesky early texts (read between the lions!).
This is a bit like taking a chemistry course, but rushing past all the stuff about molecules and catalysts and mainly asking questions about how various mixed drinks taste. There is of course no shame in such curiosity, but it's premature where the aim is the serious study of anything.
Let me reiterate that the words, actions, and ideas of the historical Jesus do not reductively determine anything about the legitimate practice of subsequent Christianity -- but they do constitute a key element in any honest conversation about what it might mean to follow Jesus.
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