| a truly important contribution to the study of the legal history of the later Roman Empire Gregory Halfond, Bryn Mawr Classical Review Humfresss engaging book makes an original, incisive contribution to our understanding of the continuity of legal practice in the later empire and to the role of forensic advocacy by Christians in the genesis and elaboration of the distinctions between orthodoxy and heresy that evolved in the post-Constantinian world. Tony Honore, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
This book approaches the subject of late Roman law from the perspective of legal practice revealed in courtroom processes, as well as more "informal" types of dispute settlement. From at least the early fourth century, leading bishops, ecclesiastics, and Christian polemicists participated in a vibrant culture of forensic argument, with far-reaching effects on theological debate, the development of ecclesiastical authority, and the elaboration of early "Canon law." One of the most innovative aspects of late Roman law was the creation and application of new legal categories used in the prosecution of "heretics." Leading Christian polemicists not only used techniques of argument learnt in the late Roman rhetorical schools to help position the Church within the structure of Empire, but also used those techniques in cases involving accusations against "heretics" -- thus defining and developing the concept of Christian orthodoxy itself.
About the Author
Caroline Humfress is a Reader in Late Antique and Early Medieval History, Birkbeck College, University of London. |
