On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, the first session was held during the 3rd Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom on the topic "History of the Christian Church.” This first session will offer an objective assessment on the historical dynamics that help to explain the current plight of Christians in the Middle East. The session included both the multi-century historical factors shaping Christian-Muslim interaction in the region (such as the Crusades and European colonialism of the Near East) as well as more recent twentieth- and twentyfirst-century changes in the region. The panel included experts for a variety of religious minorities in the region, including Armenian, Coptic, Greek, and Syrian Christians. The moderator was George E. Demacopoulos, Fr. John Meyendorff & Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies at Fordham University. Panelists included: Sidney Griffith, S.T., Professor of Early Christian Studies, Catholic University; Mark Movsesian, Fredrick A. Whitney Professor of Contract Law, St. Johns Law School; James Skedros, Dean & Michael G. and Anastasia Cantonis Professor of Byzantine Studies, Hellenic College/Holy Cross School of Theology; and Samuel Tadros, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute.