Conversion in Late Antiquity
Book Description
This scholarly exploration delves into one of history's most transformative periods, examining the profound religious shifts that reshaped entire civilizations during late antiquity. Drawing from presentations at a prestigious Oxford seminar, this comprehensive study investigates the parallel movements of conversion to Christianity and Islam that bookended this pivotal era.
Rather than accepting simplistic narratives about religious transformation, the work challenges common assumptions by placing Christian and Islamic conversion experiences side by side for careful comparison. The analysis reveals the complex behaviors and circumstances that made religious conversion both widespread and deeply contested throughout this period. Buddhism's concurrent spread across Asia provides an illuminating counterpoint, offering perspective beyond the Abrahamic traditions.
The investigation unfolds through multiple lenses, examining how religious authorities and institutions shaped conversion processes, while also exploring the fluid realities individuals faced on the ground. Readers discover how official policies regarding religious change often diverged from lived experience, creating spaces where personal ambivalence and cultural adaptation flourished.
The study traces conversion from theoretical debates and normative principles through to practical implementation, revealing how states managed religious transformation and how institutions ultimately codified these changes. A focused examination of Jerusalem demonstrates how religious shifts transformed even the most sacred spaces.
For those interested in understanding how spiritual movements gain momentum and reshape societies, this work offers valuable insights into the mechanisms of religious change across cultures and centuries.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~12 hours)
📄 Length: 436 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Understand the nature of mind
- ✓ Explore Middle Ages
- ✓ Explore Histoire
- ✓ Explore General
- ✓ Explore Primitive and early church
- ✓ Explore Church history
- ✓ Deepen your spiritual understanding
- ✓ Explore Christianity
