What Makes a Church Sacred?: Legal and Ritual Perspectives from Late Antiquity

Mary K. Farag

Open Access Published by University of California Press 2021

What Makes a Church Sacred?

Legal and Ritual Perspectives from Late Antiquity

Mary K. Farag

Volume 63 in the series Transformation of the Classical Heritage

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780520382015

Overview
Contents

About this book

A free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org.

What is the purpose of a church? Who owns a church? Mary K. Farag persuasively demonstrates that three groups in late antiquity were concerned with these questions: Christian leaders, wealthy laypersons, and lawmakers. Conflicting answers usually coexisted, but from time to time they clashed and caused significant tension. In these disputes, juridical regulations and opinions mattered more than has been traditionally recognized. Considering familiar Christian controversies in novel ways, Farag’s investigation shows that scholarship has misunderstood well-known religious figures by ignoring the legal issues they faced. This seminal text nuances vital aspects of scholarly conversations on sacred space, gift giving, wealth, and poverty in the late antique Mediterranean world, making use not only of Latin and Greek sources but also Coptic and Arabic evidence.

Author / Editor information

Farag Mary K. :

Mary K. Farag is Assistant Professor of Early Christian Studies at the Princeton Theological Seminary.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Abbreviations Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
Introduction Open Access Download PDF	1
Part I The Legal Making of Res Sacrae
1 Res Sacrae Open Access Download PDF	9
2 Protected Places Open Access Download PDF	41
3. Protecting Places Open Access Download PDF	71
Part II. The Ritual Making of Res Sacrae
4 Dedications Open Access Download PDF	97
5 Consecrations Open Access Download PDF	129
6 Anniversaries Open Access Download PDF	157
Conclusion Open Access Download PDF	179
Appendix A. The Sources of Justinian’s Institutes 2.1.pr–10 Open Access Download PDF	183
Appendix B. Chronological List of Roman Legislation on Ecclesial Property Open Access Download PDF	187
Appendix C. Chronological List of Ecclesiastical Canons on Ecclesial Property Open Access Download PDF	197
Appendix D. Late Antique Lections for the Consecratory Ritual Open Access Download PDF	205
NOTES Open Access Download PDF	207
Bibliography Open Access Download PDF	269
Index LOCORUM Open Access Download PDF	301
GENERAL INDEX Open Access Download PDF	311

Language: English
Publisher: University of California Press
Pages
- Main content: 344

eBook

Published: December 21, 2021
ISBN: 9780520382015