Christianity in the Roman World

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Ancient Christianity developed and spread in the confines of the Roman World, both directly, under Roman rule, and in constant interchange with classical culture, Roman political and cultural institutions. As a result of its emergence, everything in the Roman world changed: thoughts, beliefs, norms, aesthetic preferences and social norms. But how exactly did that shift happen? What did it mean to become a Christian in the Roman world, and how was Christianity itself shaped by that interaction? In this course, we will explore the social, cultural and political preconditions and consequences of Christianization in late antiquity. We will begin with a look at the ancient Roman world at its height - the age of the Emperor Augustus, which also saw the emergence of the Christian faith - and will go on to consider important steps in the interaction between these two forces: from conflict and persecution to a redefinition of the ancient heritage and a new understanding of Roman-ness in the Western World. Along the way, we will encounter many of the focal issues that shape the interactions between the church and the secular world to this day, as well as challenge every Christian's views and ethical duties, such as: how did the early Christians/how do we react to phenomena of otherness (migration, minorities, heterodoxy)? How does/did Christianity shape our understanding of the social order, and of gender roles? To which degree should Church and State interact, collaborate, or keep apart (e.g. in the military, the Christian basis of secular power, Christian imperialism)? We will base our discussion on the extant primary sources: Objects of art and architecture, archaeological remains, inscriptions and literary texts. Thus, we will also discuss the theoretical approaches these various documents require, and the methods we employ to understand what they tell us about the past.