Power of Religion in Late Antiquity

Late Antiquity witnessed a dramatic recalibration in the economy of power, and nowhere was this more pronounced than in the realm of religion. The transformations that occurred in this pivotal era moved the ancient world into the Middle Ages and forever changed the way that religion was practiced. The twenty eight studies in this volume explore this shift using evidence ranging from Latin poetic texts, to Syriac letter collections, to the iconography of Roman churches and Merowingian mortuary goods. They range in chronology from the late third through the early seventh centuries AD and apply varied theories and approaches. All converge around the notion that religion is fundamentally a discourse of power and that power in Late Antiquity was especially charged with the force of religion. The articles are divided into eight sections which examine the power of religion in literature, theurgical power over the divine, emperors and the deployment of religious power, limitations on the power of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, the use of the cross as a symbol of power, Rome and its transformation as a center of power, the power of religion in the barbarian west, and religious power in the communities of the east. This kaleidoscope of perspectives creates a richly illuminating volume that add a new social and political dimension to current debates about religion in Late Antiquity.

’... this is a highly enjoyable collection of papers, and most readers will encounter something new to them...’ Bryn Mawr Classical Review ’Le volume offre des recherches originales et stimulantes ; il ajoute sans conteste une nouvelle dimension sociale et politique aux débats actuels sur la religion et sur le pouvoir dans l’Antiquité tardive.’ Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses '[The editors] should be commended for assembling a set of essays that, together, encourage a reassessment of power and religion across a range of subfields in late ancient studies. Individually, the essays are well researched and represent significant contributions to late ancient social, political, cultural, and religious history.' Church History

Andrew Cain is Assistant Professor and Noel Lenski is Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA.