Methinks you should research who we Eastern Orthodox call the "Desert Fathers". They are very definitive on the questions of the soul, how it was formed, etc. Oh, and BTW, Ancient Christianity is alive and well as it has been since the Book of Acts. Yep, we're still here, active and our liturgy has remained unchanged since about 404 A.D. (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostum) and our Lenten Liturgy (Liturgy of St. Basil) since the 4th century. You probably have an Orthodox Church community near where you live. Most Orthodox priests are well-schooled in these matters.