Ancient Christianity irl: Art, Objects, and Sacred Spaces in the Roman Empire
RELI 234
Spring 2026
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01
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This course will introduce students to ancient Christianity through the study of a variety of sources, including textual, material, and visual. We will examine the development of Christianity in the Roman Empire during the first six centuries CE, following the rise of Christianity from a religious movement to an imperial religion. We will investigate the myriad representations of Christianity throughout the ancient Mediterranean world: amulets, magical spells, books deemed crucial for the faith and those deemed heretical, the earliest images of Jesus and his followers, and those spaces devoted to Christian cultic practices. This course requires no background and will engage topics in units diachronically so that students can understand the evolution of ancient Christianity from the Classical period through late antiquity. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Religion Minor)(Religion) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
All readings will be posted to the course Moodle:
Robert Wilken, THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS: A GLOBAL HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY, excerpts
Robin Jensen, THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO EARLY CHRISTIAN ART, excerpts
David Brakke, "Self-Differentiation among Christian Groups: The Gnostics and Their Opponents"
Averil Cameron, "The Anxiety of Images: Meanings and Material Objects"
Norbert Zimmerman, "Catacomb Painting and the Rise of Christian Iconography in Funerary Art"
Peter Brown, THE CULT OF THE SAINTS: ITS RISE AND FUNCTION IN LATIN CHRISTIANITY, excerpts
Daniel Boyarin, "Martyrdom and the Making of Christianity and Judaism"
Laura Nasrallah, ANCIENT CHRISTIANS AND THE POWER OF CURSES: MAGIC, AESTHETICS, AND JUSTICE, excerpts
Noel Lenski, THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO THE AGE OF CONSTANTINE, excerpts
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Examinations and Assignments:
Participation
Leading Class Discussion Once
Paper 1: Object/Site Analysis (6-8 pages)
Presentation on Paper 1
Research Paper/Final Project (15 page paper OR a project in consultation with instructor such as podcast, digital exhibition, op-ed, etc.)
Presentation on Final Paper
Weekly Scholarly Journal (10 of 13 weeks require a 300 word written response to class readings)
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Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course fulfills the "Historical Traditions" or "additional course" requirement for the Religion major. |
| Instructor(s): Nations-Quiroz,Julia Times: .M.W... 01:20PM-02:40PM; Location: FISK404; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 18 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 13 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 1 | JR non-major: 1 | SO: 4 | FR: 4 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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