Building the Body of Christ: Christian Art, Identity, and Community in Late Antique Italy

In late antique Italy, monumental Christian art and architecture played a significant role in shaping individual and communal identities. Daniel C. Cochran argues that these buildings and programs reflected Christianity's changing status within the Roman Empire and actively shaped those who used them. He emphasizes the importance of materiality and the body in early Christian thought and practice, and how bishops and their supporters employed the visual arts to present a Christian identity rooted in the sacred past. Cochran's case studies from Rome, Aquileia, and Ravenna show how these sites responded to the diversity of early Christianity and contributed to the formation of institutional Christianity and the "Christianization" of late antique Italy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 298 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

In his book "Building the Body of Christ," Daniel C. Cochran explores the profound impact of monumental Christian art and architecture on the formation of individual and communal identities in late antique Italy. The author argues that the ecclesiastical buildings and artistic programs that emerged during the fourth and fifth centuries not only reflected Christianity's changing status within the Roman Empire but also actively shaped those who used them. Cochran emphasizes the importance of materiality and the body in early Christian thought and practice, demonstrating how bishops and their supporters employed the visual arts to present a Christian identity rooted in the sacred past but expressed in the present through church unity and episcopal authority.

To contextualize his case studies from Rome, Aquileia, and Ravenna, Cochran weaves together archaeological and textual evidence, showing how these sites responded to the diversity of early Christianity as expressed through private rituals and the imperial appropriation of the saints. Through his analysis, Cochran demonstrates how these early ecclesiastical buildings and artistic programs worked in conjunction with the liturgy to persuade individuals to adopt alternative beliefs, practices, and values that contributed to the formation of institutional Christianity and the "Christianization" of late antique Italy.

This book is a valuable contribution to the study of late antique religion and culture, offering insights into the complex interplay between art, architecture, and religious belief in a period of significant transformation. Cochran's meticulous research and thoughtful analysis make "Building the Body of Christ" a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Christianity and its cultural impact.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 227 x 151 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781978707702