Decades before the publishing phenomenon The Da Vinci Code turned millions of readers on to the excitement and glamour of early Christian history and biblical studies, a steady stream of novels—some obscure, some bestsellers were teaching the popular reading public about the thrills and chills of the academic study of Scriptures. These ‘gospel thr…[Read more]

A Jew’s Jew: Paul and the Early Christian Problem of Jewish Origins

A Jew’s Jew: Paul and the Early Christian Problem of Jewish Origins

This essay seeks to rethink the inscription of difference in early Christianity by
focusing on the role of the circumcision of Jesus—a paradigmatically Jewish
mark on the Christian savior’s body—in early Christian “dialogue”-texts
(both external dialogues, such as Justin’s Dialogue with Trypho, as well as
erotapokriseis-texts, here framed as i…[Read more]

This essay seeks to rethink the inscription of difference in early Christianity by
focusing on the role of the circumcision of Jesus—a paradigmatically Jewish
mark on the Christian savior’s body—in early Christian “dialogue”-texts
(both external dialogues, such as Justin’s Dialogue with Trypho, as well as
erotapokriseis-texts, here framed as i…[Read more]

Blood Will Out: Jesus’ Circumcision and Early Christian Readings of Exodus 4:24-26

Blood Will Out: Jesus’ Circumcision and Early Christian Readings of Exodus 4:24-26

The equation of the ascetic life with “the angelic life” permeates ancient writing about the renunciatory efforts of Christians; indeed, contemporary scholars often use this same discourse as shorthand for the ascetic movement in Christianity. While the analogy between renunciation and angels began as an inventive exegetical extension of a gospel…[Read more]

Originally presented at McMaster University in May 2005.

Originally presented at McMaster University in May 2005.

Originally presented at McMaster University in May 2005.

The re-evaluation of classical education (paideia) recurred throughout the Roman period, reaching a particularly fevered pitch during the late fourth century, as the empire became Christian. The political consequences of Christian learning become particularly clear in the debate between two learned, Latin-speaking Christians who translated Greek…[Read more]

The re-evaluation of classical education (paideia) recurred throughout the Roman period, reaching a particularly fevered pitch during the late fourth century, as the empire became Christian. The political consequences of Christian learning become particularly clear in the debate between two learned, Latin-speaking Christians who translated Greek…[Read more]

The re-evaluation of classical education (paideia) recurred throughout the Roman period, reaching a particularly fevered pitch during the late fourth century, as the empire became Christian. The political consequences of Christian learning become particularly clear in the debate between two learned, Latin-speaking Christians who translated Greek…[Read more]

In this essay, I reconsider early Christian conversion through the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis (d. 404 C.E.). Far from the notion of conversion as an interior movement of soul (familiar from Augustine, A.D. Nock, and William James), Epiphanius shows us a variety of conversions—from lay to clergy, from orthodox to heretic, and from Jew to C…[Read more]

In this essay, I reconsider early Christian conversion through the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis (d. 404 C.E.). Far from the notion of conversion as an interior movement of soul (familiar from Augustine, A.D. Nock, and William James), Epiphanius shows us a variety of conversions—from lay to clergy, from orthodox to heretic, and from Jew to C…[Read more]

In this essay, I reconsider early Christian conversion through the writings of Epiphanius of Salamis (d. 404 C.E.). Far from the notion of conversion as an interior movement of soul (familiar from Augustine, A.D. Nock, and William James), Epiphanius shows us a variety of conversions—from lay to clergy, from orthodox to heretic, and from Jew to C…[Read more]

Compared to more philosophical biblical interpreters such as Origen, Epiphanius of Salamis often appears to modern scholars as plodding, literalist, reactionary, meandering, and unsophisticated. In this article I argue that Epiphanius’s eclectic and seemingly disorganized treatment of the Bible actually draws on a common, imperial style of a…[Read more]

Compared to more philosophical biblical interpreters such as Origen, Epiphanius of Salamis often appears to modern scholars as plodding, literalist, reactionary, meandering, and unsophisticated. In this article I argue that Epiphanius’s eclectic and seemingly disorganized treatment of the Bible actually draws on a common, imperial style of a…[Read more]

Article exploring the status of mint workers from the Republic to the period of Late Antiquity.