“Soldiers of God on the Roman Frontier: Early Christian Monks Among Soldiers and ‘Barbarians’”

About the Lecture:

Christian monasticism originated and developed on the southeastern frontier of the Roman empire, which was a militarized zone marked by conflicts between and among Roman troops, local communities, and “barbarian” tribes. Historians have often noted the violence that monks sometimes experienced and its destructive effects. This lecture will explore more fully how violence and contacts with armed combatants shaped the social, economic, and spiritual lives of early monks, who considered themselves the soldiers of God.

About the Speaker:

David Brakke is the Joe R. Engle Chair in the History of Christianity and Professor of History at the Ohio State University. Among his books is Demons and the Making of the Monk: Spiritual Combat in Early Christianity (Harvard University Press 2006). He is the vice president of the North American Patristics Society.