El. knyga: Roman Identity and Lived Religion: Baptismal Art in Late Antiquity

Demonstrates, by examining the decoration of Mediterranean baptisteries from the fifth to the seventh century, that Roman popular culture had a strong impact on how common Christians defined what it meant to them to be Christian. Important for scholars of ancient history, late antique Christianity and art history.

Christianity is often considered prevalent when it comes to defining the key values of late antique society, whereas 'feeling connected to the Roman past' is commonly regarded as an add-on for cultivated elites. This book demonstrates the significant impact of popular Roman culture on the religious identity of common Christians from the fifth to the seventh century in the Mediterranean world. Baptism is central to the formation of Christian identity. The decoration of baptisteries reveals that traditional Roman culture persisted as an integral component of Christian identity in various communities. In their baptisteries, Christians visually and spatially evoked their links to Roman and, at times, even pagan traditions. A close examination of visual and material sources in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, and Italy shows that baptisteries served roles beyond mere conduits to Christian orthodoxy.