Christianisierungen im Römischen Reich: Überlegungen zum Begriff und zur Phasenbildung

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although the word Christianisation is used frequently in Late Antique studies, definitions are rare. This article proposes a very broad definition: Christianisation denotes historical developments, which lead to a hegemony of Christian discourses or practices in certain spaces, areas, or sections of society. Christian discourses and practices refer to narrations about Christ as a key figure and later on foundational texts which contain them. These developments are not necessarily contemporaneous in various sections of society and they are not linear. Based on this definition, which is not teleological and not normative, a model of stages of Christianisations is put up for discussion: In the beginning, there were particulate Christianisations, affecting only certain groups or areas. It was a special case, when emperors turned to Christianity, deeply changing the political and normative order. Yet, at first, we can observe neutralisation in various social spaces, as for example in political communication; even discourses about forbearance were articulated in imperial panegyric. This stage, however, was short and led to a totalisation of Christianity during the sixth century, when Christian discourses and practices asserted themselves nearly everywhere, preserving, on the other hand, an impressive polyphony within Christianity.