Projects per year
Abstract
The issue of the persistence of paganism is now quite well considered; however, it is only in recent times that the same concern approached from another perspective, the multifaceted nature of the Christianisation of the Peloponnese, has become the topic of detailed discussion. It is likely that Christianisation in Achaea took place incrementally and with a variety of effects according to the location. The processes of how this took place and under what circumstances remain to be discussed in detail. As a considered and active process, understanding methods of conversion should provide insights into the nature of society at the time, particularly in terms of communications. Church location reflects a range of choices made in terms of the conversion process and therefore is fundamental to analysing religious transformation. Such insights are important, particularly given the dearth of historical sources for, and difficulties of refining, church chronologies in the Peloponnese. In the case of the Late Antique Peloponnese, a great deal is known about many individual churches as a result of quite extensive excavation of a majority of them, particularly through the work of Pallas and Orlandos. This evidence, together with the results of a survey of all the known Late Antique churches in the Peloponnese undertaken in 2012, makes possible a synthetic interpretation of all the material within the surrounding landscape. While the precise chronologies may remain elusive, this present study shows how sociological theories of conversion processes can be applied to the topographic analysis of the Late Antique churches of the Peloponnese to help determine the nature of Christianisation across the diachronic range. In this work I will present some new theories regarding processes and phases of conversion, and the implications of these in terms of understanding networks and society in the Late Antique Peloponnese.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 285-319 |
Journal | Annual of the British School at Athens |
Volume | 110 |
Early online date | 28 Apr 2015 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2015 |
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'The Christianisation of the Peloponnese: the case for strategic change'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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Liturgy & Sacred Architecture: Liturgy and Sacred Architecture in the Balkans, Fourth to Eighth Centuries
Sweetman, R. J. (PI)
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
29/09/13 → 19/12/13
Project: Fellowship
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European Visiting Research Fellowship: 2011 CRF/RSE European Visiting Research Fellowship
Sweetman, R. J. (PI)
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
1/02/12 → 31/07/12
Project: Fellowship
Research output
- 2 Article
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Networks and church building in the Aegean: Crete, Cyprus, Lycia and the Peloponnese
Sweetman, R., Nov 2017, In: Annual of the British School at Athens. 112, p. 207-266Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Memory, tradition, and Christianization of the Peloponnese
Sweetman, R. J., Oct 2015, In: American Journal of Archaeology. 119, 4, p. 501–531 31 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile