The Making Of A Christian Aristocracy Summary

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Michele Renee Salzman is a highly accomplished scholar of Greek and Latin, experienced lecturer in the subject of classics, and a published author of multiple books on ancient European religion, society, and politics. Her work, The Making of a Christian Aristocracy, provides an excellent historical perspective on the process of acceptance and transition from paganism to Christianity in ancient Rome. She accomplishes this by comparing and contrasting many of the common and widely accepted modern theories on the subject, referencing documents from the period, and contributing her own hypotheses and commentary, as needed. Salzman details the practices and cultural standards of ancient Roman society in order to illustrate the significance and …show more content…

Salzman references the letters, journals, and notes of over 400 members of the senatorial order with the intention of providing readers with some first-hand accounts of the changes and opinions of those involved in this major religious movement. According to these accounts, one major factor of the reluctance to convert was the nature of religion and society in this western culture. Unlike many modern states, the Roman Empire allowed their official religion to heavily influence political, economic, and cultural practices; according to Salzman, this caused understandable hesitancy on the part of the senatorial order. Accepting this conversion of religion would lead to changes in almost every aspect of life. Men, specifically, would jeopardize their futures and careers should they choose this path without the support of other aristocratic families. Women, on the other hand, were not as publicly prominent and unable to hold public offices. Salzman states that women were, perhaps, more easily influenced and interested in the Christian teachings because they speak more of equality than paganism. In the end, Salzman believes that Christianity spread across Rome through family units; starting with the individual family members and then on into other aristocratic …show more content…

Throughout the book, readers are provided with important definitions that aim to clarify the language used by historians, and other specialists, for those acquainted and unfamiliar with the topic. Dates, reference notes, and citations are used regularly to keep readers oriented and informed. Important names and figures are annotated to ensure understanding and competency, and Salzman does this with both the scholars she references and the historical figures she mentions. This book is an exceptional tool which could certainly be used as a foundational source of information for research on the conversion of Roman aristocracy, as well as an interesting read for one who simply appreciates the topic and scholarly theories concerning

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