Research Conference to Analyse Early Christianity and the Urban Environment

On Friday 22nd - Saturday 23rd May, the Centre for Social-Scientific Study of the Bible (CSSSB) at St Mary’s University, Twickenham is to host a conference examining early Christian engagement with the ancient urban environment. The Cities of God? conference will address and assess the growth and development of the early Christian movement in urban settings in the first two centuries, by assessing how city settings (physical, cultural, and social environments) affected the Christian movement's development, and how the earliest Christians reflected on and understood the urban worlds of their day. The conference will feature interdisciplinary interaction between scholars in Classics (who have understanding of ancient cities), Early Christianity (who have understanding of early Christian texts and thinking), and Human Geography (who have understanding of how humans live together, interact and develop culture in urban settings). A number of academics from across the UK and overseas will be presenting, including Director of the Centre for the Social-Scientific Study of the Bible Prof Chris Keith. Each presentation will last 30 minutes, including time for comments and questions. Prof Paul Trebilco of the University of Otago, New Zealand, will deliver a keynote lecture on Engaging—or Not Engaging—the City: Reading 1–2 Timothy and the Johannine Letters in the City of Ephesus. Registration for the event is £65, though students are offered a discounted price of £40. If you would like to propose a paper, please send a title and 300-word abstract to Prof Steve Walton on steve.walton@stmarys.ac.uk by Sunday 1st March.