New Books Network Christine Shepardson, "A Memory of Violence: Syriac Christianity and the Radicalization of Religious Difference in Late Antiquity" (U California Press, 2025)
Sep 15, 2025
Christine Shepardson, a Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, dives into her groundbreaking work on the miaphysite Christians of late antiquity. She reveals how these early Christians navigated state violence and crafted narratives of resilience and martyrdom. The conversation explores the role of monasteries in preserving theological identity, the Council of Chalcedon's impact on community dynamics, and the radicalization of faith amidst sociopolitical turmoil. Shedding light on a crucial chapter of Christian history, Shepardson illustrates the enduring legacy of Syriac Christianity.
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Violence And Religious Innovation Interact
- Late antiquity combined violent conflict with religious innovation rather than being one or the other.
- Shepardson argues religious memory-making and violence mutually shaped miaphysite identity in the 5th–6th centuries.
Centering Syriac Sources Reveals Lost Perspectives
- Shepardson centers Syriac sources to recover miaphysite perspectives that standard Greek/Latin histories marginalize.
- Starting from the losing side reveals alternative genealogies, networks, and rhetorical strategies.
Memory Shapes Legitimacy And Future Identity
- Memory studies help explain how competing churches claimed legitimacy by shaping past narratives.
- Genealogies and contested recollections served to legitimate future authority and encourage perseverance.
