The New Testament scholar Professor Larry Hurtado, of Edinburgh University, wrote a very convincing thesis regarding this topic in his 2016 book
Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World:
https://www.amazon.com/Destroyer-gods-Early-Christian-Distinctiveness/dp/1481304747/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526507607&sr=1-1&keywords=Destroyer+of+the+Gods:+Early+Christian+Distinctiveness+in+the+Roman+World
"In this lucid and wide-ranging book, Larry Hurtado convincingly shows how novel and distinctive early Christianity was in the religious world of the first century. He argues that early Christianity was in many respects a different kind of religion, and was revolutionary in the way that 'religion' has been understood ever since. Along the way, Hurtado sheds much light on the New Testament and on second century Christianity. He hopes to enhance 'our appreciation of the remarkable religious movement' that was early Christianity, and he admirably achieves exactly that."―Paul Trebilco, Professor of New Testament, University of Otago
"Clear and enlightening, Hurtado's coverage of the first centuries of Christianity explains why it was different, more philosophy than religion, and how its emergence as the supreme religion in the Roman world is less paradoxical than usually argued. This account is the nearest one can get to meeting an early Christian and quizzing them."―Robin Cormack, Emeritus Professor, Courtauld Institute of Art
"Whether one applauds or disdains the values of contemporary Western culture, what we assume to be good, true, and normal has been shaped to a surprising degree by early Christianity. Demolishing taken-for-granted assumptions about what religion was, is, and can be, Hurtado's provocative exploration deserves a broad audience."―Matthew W. Bates, Quincy University, OnScript
His colleague Professor Bart Ehrman did much the same earlier this year in his book
The Triumph of Christianity: How a Forbidden Religion Swept the World:
https://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Christianity-Forbidden-Religion-Swept/dp/1501136704
How did a religion whose first believers were twenty or so illiterate day laborers in a remote part of the empire became the official religion of Rome, converting some thirty million people in just four centuries? In The Triumph of Christianity, early Christian historian Bart D. Ehrman weaves the rigorously-researched answer to this question “into a vivid, nuanced, and enormously readable narrative” (Elaine Pagels, National Book Award-winning author of The Gnostic Gospels), showing how a handful of charismatic characters used a brilliant social strategy and an irresistible message to win over hearts and minds one at a time.
This “humane, thoughtful and intelligent” book (The New York Times Book Review) upends the way we think about the single most important cultural transformation our world has ever seen—one that revolutionized art, music, literature, philosophy, ethics, economics, and law.
Since they are both accredited experts in their field, I would take their research into consideration.
