Serving the Christian State in Late Antiquity (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781009714655)

How did the state become Christian in late antiquity? Many scholars have traced the Christianization of the Roman world in the centuries following the conversion of the emperor Constantine in 312 CE. Robin Whelan, however, turns his attention away from the usual suspects in such accounts-emperors, empresses, bishops, ascetics, and other holy people-to consider a surprisingly understudied set of late ancient Christians: those who served the state as courtiers, bureaucrats, and governors. By tracing the requirements of regimes, the expectations of subjects, and patterns of engagement with churches and churchmen, he argues that that those who served the state in late antiquity could be seen-and indeed, could see themselves-as distinctly Christian authority figures-just as much as the emperors and kings whom they served, and the bishops and ascetics whom they governed. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Author: Robin Whelan
ISBN-10: 1009714651
ISBN-13: 9781009714655
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 06/04/2026
Pages: 390
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.80d