
Communities of the Blessed
Social Environment and Religious Change in Northern Italy, AD 200-400
Mark Humphries(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 1. June 2000
Book
Hardback
274 pages
978-0-19-826983-0 (ISBN)
Description
This book provides a new appraisal of religious change in the Roman Empire, focusing on the rise of Christianity in Northern Italy. It challenges the conventional view that the church expanded by means of co-ordinated apostolic missions (a view which has its origins in medieval legends). By careful consideration of archaeological evidence, as well as traditional literary sources, Dr Humphries builds up a picture of Christian origins that is sensitive to the patchy and uneven nature of the phenomenon. In particular, he emphasizes how the competing interests of bishops, emperors, and laity were to have far-reaching implications for the political, institutional, cultural, and theological development of the church.
Reviews / Votes
'This is a stimulating study, steering its way sensitively in waters almost as controversial now as in the third and fourth centuries. It deserves to be widely read and its methodology adopted into the armoury of scholarship in early Christianity' Church TimesMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
1 Karte, 4 Bildtafeln
1 map, 4 plans
ISBN-13
978-0-19-826983-0 (9780198269830)
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Schweitzer Classification