2017/01/01 by F. L. Schuddeboom · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · #Ancient history #Archaeology #Art #Byzantine Studies and History #Christianity #Classics #Historical and Religious Studies of Rome #History #Medieval Literature and History #Middle Ages #Paganism #Philosophy #Symbol (formal) #Temple #Test (biology)
paper · doi:10.1353/jla.2017.0005
openalex publication_date 2017/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/04/05
The conversion of temples into churches has traditionally been explained as a symbol of Christian triumph over pagan religions. This viewpoint has been called into question by modern scholars who maintain that temple conversions were driven primarily by pragmatic motivations. The present article puts both these perspectives to the test by examining the temple conversions in the city of Rome. Furthermore, it addresses the question of what temple conversions can tell us about Christian attitudes towards paganism in Late Antiquity and in the Early Middle Ages.