Religious competition in the third century CE

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The essays in this work delve into authority, identity, and change within religious and philosophical traditions of the third century CE, a pivotal period marked by significant political and cultural shifts that transformed the Roman world's social and religious landscape. Edited by Jordan D. Rosenblum, Lily Vuong, and Nathaniel DesRosiers, the volume focuses on major creative movements and their strategies for establishing orthodoxies and orthopraxies. Contributors analyze the intersections among various religious and philosophical communities of the time, including Jews, Christians, pagans, and philosophers, highlighting points of contact and interaction. The discussions are comparative and interdisciplinary, engaging scholars from Religious Studies, Philosophy, History, and Archaeology. The overarching goal is to explore dialogues that reveal the competition and influence among these groups, while proposing a methodological framework for studying ancient dialogues. These religious and philosophical exchanges are significant not only for their historical context but also for their role in shaping later cultural and religious developments.