Death and Rebirth in Late Antiquity

by Lee M. Jefferson Centre College (Editor), David Eastman (Contribution by), Mark D. Ellison (Contribution by), Jennifer Awes Freeman (Contribution by), Felicity Harley-McGowan (Contribution by)

Overview

Memorialized in art, sculpture, epigraphy, and of course texts, the theme of death and rebirth became a central focus of the Christian religion as it developed in late antiquity. This book provides a deep examination of the theme of death and rebirth from various points of view to see how deeply ensconced it was in religious piety.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781978701618
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	02/26/2024
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	5.92(w) x 8.97(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Lee M. Jefferson is the Nelson D. and Mary McDowell Rodes Associate Professor of Religion at Centre College.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Lee M. Jefferson

1. Death and Rebirth within North African Montanism

William Tabbernee

2. The Church as the Locus of Miracles: Santa Sabina and Revisiting the Staff of Jesus in Early Christian Art

Lee M. Jefferson

3. Wearing the Cross: Macrina, the Cross, and Co-Crucifixion

Felicity Harley-McGowan

4. Altar-ed Arks: Form as (Theological) Function in Late Antique and Early Medieval Reliquaries

Jennifer Awes Freeman

5. Marriage and Martyrdom in Roman North Africa: Augustine and Crispina of Tebessa

David G. Hunter

6. “Bring Out Yer Dead”: A Funerary Ritual Koine and Its Christian Dialects from Little Traditions to a Great Tradition

Jacob Latham

7. Apostolic Posture: Mary Magdalene as Witness to Death and Resurrection in Art

Michael Peppard

8. Reuniting after Death, Defining Familial Piety in Life: A Case of Rhetoric in Word and Image

Mark D. Ellison

9. Undead Apostles and The Development of Cultic Practices

David L. Eastman

10. To Die for God: Sacrifice, Eucharist, and Martyrdom in Ignatius of Antioch

Andrew McGowan

11. Crosses, Snakes, and Tunics: St. Lawrence and Other Martyrs

Annewies van den Hoek and John Herrmann, Jr.

Editorial Reviews

Robin Jensen is one of the most eminent scholars of Early Christianity and has left a wide impact with her publications and her teaching. It is wonderful that both the scholar and the warm-hearted person is honored with contributions centered around one of the great themes of late antiquity, death and resurrection. The chapters, worked meticulously and inspired by a common love of research and friendship, add new and important insights. Honor to whom honor is due!

This carefully edited and well-illustrated volume is a fitting tribute to Robin Jensen. All the authors have done an excellent job in keeping to the overarching theme of the volume, which makes it a valuable contribution to the scholarship on the attitudes towards death and rebirth in late antiquity.

This collection of essays is a rich and fitting tribute to Robin Jensen, whose work has so well illuminated the way art contributes to understanding early Christianity. In delving into the theme of death and rebirth in Christian iconography, inscriptions and literature the authors of these essays provide new insights that shed even more light on this fascinating and foundational era.

This is a signal collection of fresh essays on early Christian art in honour of Robin Margaret Jensen, perhaps the most major voice in the field of her generation. Written by visual and patristic experts and extensively illustrated, the papers place a series of themes germane to early Christian art within a wider social and cultural context.

This rich collection of studies, ranging from cross amulets to funeral processions, each adroitly working across material and textual cultures, makes a fitting tribute to Robin Jensen and her legacy in the study of early Christianity.

This volume brings together the work of eleven scholars on various themes of death and rebirth in early Christianity. The articles celebrate the excellent contributions of Robin Jensen, whose pioneering work has re-tooled the field to include material evidence, including art, archaeology, and ritual. The volume presents articles whose innovative scholarship sheds new light on familiar ancient Christian texts, offering different perspectives. As such, it is a fitting tribute.

From the Publisher

This collection of essays is a rich and fitting tribute to Robin Jensen, whose work has so well illuminated the way art contributes to understanding early Christianity. In delving into the theme of death and rebirth in Christian iconography, inscriptions and literature the authors of these essays provide new insights that shed even more light on this fascinating and foundational era.

Joan Taylor

This volume brings together the work of eleven scholars on various themes of death and rebirth in early Christianity. The articles celebrate the excellent contributions of Robin Jensen, whose pioneering work has re-tooled the field to include material evidence, including art, archaeology, and ritual. The volume presents articles whose innovative scholarship sheds new light on familiar ancient Christian texts, offering different perspectives. As such, it is a fitting tribute.

Vasiliki Limberis

This is a signal collection of fresh essays on early Christian art in honour of Robin Margaret Jensen, perhaps the most major voice in the field of her generation. Written by visual and patristic experts and extensively illustrated, the papers place a series of themes germane to early Christian art within a wider social and cultural context.

Jas Elsner

This rich collection of studies, ranging from cross amulets to funeral processions, each adroitly working across material and textual cultures, makes a fitting tribute to Robin Jensen and her legacy in the study of early Christianity.

David Frankfurter

This carefully edited and well-illustrated volume is a fitting tribute to Robin Jensen. All the authors have done an excellent job in keeping to the overarching theme of the volume, which makes it a valuable contribution to the scholarship on the attitudes towards death and rebirth in late antiquity.

Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Robin Jensen is one of the most eminent scholars of Early Christianity and has left a wide impact with her publications and her teaching. It is wonderful that both the scholar and the warm-hearted person is honored with contributions centered around one of the great themes of late antiquity, death and resurrection. The chapters, worked meticulously and inspired by a common love of research and friendship, add new and important insights. Honor to whom honor is due!

Jutta Dresken-Weiland

This is a signal collection of fresh essays on early Christian art in honour of Robin Margaret Jensen, perhaps the most major voice in the field of her generation. Written by visual and patristic experts and extensively illustrated, the papers place a series of themes germane to early Christian art within a wider social and cultural context.

Jaś Elsner