Christianization of the Late Roman World: Cities, Churches, Synagogues, Palaces, Private Houses and Monasteries in the Early Christian Period

The separate papers in this publication have appeared during the last 10-15 years as parts of a comprehensive enquiry by Professor Brenk, where the goal is not generalization, but microhistory. The opportunity presented itself to examine the phenomenon of Christianization on the basis of separate case studies in different religious, social and economic areas of life. The author asks how these areas of life changed in a period of major transformation in the Late Roman World, between the 3rd and the 7th centuries, and how these changes were reflected in art and architecture. The city in late antiquity forms the starting point, acquiring a new emphasis after the 4th century with the cult buildings of Christians and Jew (churches, monasteries, synagogues) as well as some extremely luxurious residences. The author tries to examine in which topographic surroundings Christian and Jewish cult buildings were established. Special attention is given to the question of the taking over of construction plots or the re-use of buildings, as well as the re-use by building materials by Christians. A further selection of topics emerges with the use, re-use and with the artistic furnishing of private houses and residences with house chapels by Christians. The investigation of house chapels throws a new light of the question of private cults. Cult, function and requirement are categories from which a new understanding can be obtained for such different building types as monasteries, urban votive churches, cathedrals and pilgrimage churches. A considerable number of studies previously published in German and Italian are presented here in English translation, and some are published here for the first time.Brenk, Beat is the author of 'Christianization of the Late Roman World: Cities, Churches, Synagogues, Palaces, Private Houses and Monasteries in the Early Christian Period', published 2002 under ISBN 9781899828722 and ISBN 1899828729.