Religion, Theory, and Interpretation

A UChicago CAS Study Group

Month: September 2015

Exciting Times!

We are excited to announce that R&HS will host Professor Morten Warmind from the University of Copenhagen to initiate our Fall 2015 schedule! Professor Warming’s talk, entitled ‘What Happened to Christianity in the Fourth Century?’ will be delivered on Tuesday, October 6th at 5:00pm in Swift 208. The talk’s abstract is listed below.

Professor Bruce Lincoln’s session with the workshop (originally scheduled for the 6th) is now re-scheduled for the following Tuesday, October 13th.

 

What happened to Christianity in the fourth century?

The fourth century was a time of upheaval in the Roman Empire. Changes in administration, government and daily life became more and more intrusive as the religion of the Christian minority was promoted by successive emperors (barring Julian). But probably far more, the religion and identity of the Christians underwent changes. Some changes were subtle – like the gradual public emergence of a religion that had been largely based on secret rituals. Other changes were more conspicuous, such as the demands for harmony and agreement from the Emperors, which opened discussions that became more and more divisive. Further, the sudden popularity of the movement produced significant changes in the nature of Christian collective identity, changes that are sometimes overlooked in discussions of the Christianization process.

Meeting Time & Place

Hey Workshoppers,

This year our workshop will meet Tuesdays, 5:00-6:30pm. Our first session will meet in Swift Hall, room 208 on Tuesday, Oct 6, at 5pm.

More later,

Andrew