Soziale Elite und Christentum : Studien zu ordo-Angehörigen unter den frühen Christen

The notion that early Christianity was a “lower class religion” is surely outdated. Yet the extent to which members of the social elites turned to the new faith remains a matter of intense scholarly dispute. Many researchers argued against the idea that the social elites were already represented among early Christians. However, the sources give extensive evidence that senators and local officials were among the Christians of the 1 st century CE. Millennium transcends boundaries – between epochs and regions, and between disciplines. Like the Millennium-Jahrbuch, the journal Millennium-Studien pursues an international, interdisciplinary approach that cuts across historical eras. Composed of scholars from various disciplines, the editorial and advisory boards welcome submissions from a range of fields, including history, literary studies, art history, theology, and philosophy. Millennium-Studien also accepts manuscripts on Latin, Greek, and Oriental cultures. In addition to offering a forum for monographs and edited collections on diverse topics, Millennium-Studien publishes commentaries and editions. The journal primary accepts publications in German and English, but also considers submissions in French, Italian, and Spanish. If you want to submit a manuscript please send it to the editor from the most relevant discipline: Wolfram Brandes, Frankfurt (Byzantine Studies and Early Middle Ages): brandes@rg.mpg.de Peter von Möllendorff, Gießen (Greek language and literature): peter.v.moellendorff@klassphil.uni-giessen.de Dennis Pausch, Dresden (Latin language and literature): dennis.pausch@tu-dresden.de Rene Pfeilschifter, Würzburg (Ancient History): Rene.Pfeilschifter@uni-wuerzburg.de Karla Pollmann, Bristol (Early Christianity and Patristics): K.F.L.Pollmann@bristol.ac.uk All manuscript submissions will be reviewed by the editor and one outside specialist (single-blind peer review).

Die Position, das frühe Christentum sei eine „Unterschichtenreligion“ gewesen, ist sicher überholt. Doch inwieweit sich Angehörige der sozialen Elite dem neuen Glauben zuwandten, bleibt heiß umstritten. Ein breiter Konsens der Forschung spricht sich gegen dieAnnahme aus, dass bereits unter den frühen Christen Angehörige der führenden Stände, also des ordo senatorius oder eines lokalen ordo decurionum, zu finden gewesen wären. Die Quellen geben aber durchaus Hinweise auf Senatoren oder lokale Amtsträger unter den Christen des 1. Jahrhunderts. Insbesondere drei Einzelpersonen werden in dieser Arbeit ausführliche Studien gewidmet: Sergius Paullus, Prokonsul von Zypern; Dionysios, Mitglied des athenischen Areopags; Erastus, „Stadtkämmerer“ in Korinth. Handelt es sich bei ihnen um plausible Kandidaten für christliche ordo-Angehörige des 1. Jahrhunderts, bliebe nach den Motiven für ihre Hinwendung zum Christentum zu fragen. Sozialen Gewinn, so eine häufige Erklärung, hätten diese hochangesehenen Personen jedenfalls nicht zu erwarten gehabt.

The notion that early Christianity was a "lower class religion" is surely outdated. Yet the extent to which members of the social elites turned to the new faith remains a matter of intense scholarly dispute. Many researchers argued against the idea that the social elites were already represented among early Christians. However, the sources give extensive evidence that senators and local officials were among the Christians of the 1st century CE.--publisher's website