The Materiality of Early Christ Devotion: Artistic Innovation at Four Archaeological Sites

In the fourth and fifth centuries CE, Christian artistry began to flourish, as elite patrons sponsored decorative initiatives for basilica churches throughout the Mediterranean basin.But what about the first three centuries? Living prior to the Constantinian age of tolerance, did Christ followers of that period engage in artistic expressions that externalized their theological hopes and convictions?The question can best be answered by consulting the ancient material record itself.The study of the Greco-Roman world has increasingly taken a "material turn" with the recognition that the archaeological record is integral in shaping our understanding of ancient cultures and civilizations.Foregrounding the material data reanimates the lived experience of people on the ground.To what extent did early Christ followers leave their mark on the material record of the Roman world?This is the question Bruce Longenecker explores in The Materiality of Early Christ Devotion.An array of evidence from a