Claiming a place in polis and empire, the significance of imperial cults and connections among associations, synagogues and Christian groups in Roman Asia (c. 27 BCE--138 CE)

grantor: University of TorontoThis study is concerned with assessing and comparing the place of small, unofficial social-religious groups, including associations, synagogues and Christian assemblies, within the framework of the 'polis' under Roman rule. More specifically, it focuses on the significance of imperial cults, honours, and connections for the external relations and internal life of these groups in the Roman province of Asia, concentrating primarily on the period from Augustus to Hadrian. In the process the study sheds light on Christian literature pertinent to Asia Minor, including I Peter, John's Apocalypse, the Pastoral epistles, Ignatius' epistles, the 'Martyrdom of Polycarp', and the 'Acts of Paul'. The central argument is that associations in Roman Asia, including some Jewish and Christian groups, could in varying ways participate within certain areas of life in the 'polis' under Roman rule, including involvements in imperial cults, honours and connections. Associations were not, as often assumed, subversive groups in consistent tension with ' polis' and empire. Comparing the concrete imperial-related practices of diverse associations with those of diverse Jewish and Christian groups draws attention to both similarities and differences in group-society relations. This aids us in locating these groups within the social and cultural framework of the 'polis' in Roman Asia. Moreover, the manner in which Jewish and Christian groups are often categorized as sects in conflict with society acts as a hindrance to perceiving the more complex spectrum of possibilities in group-society relations. Overall, this study utilizes inscriptional evidence in order to compare actual associations with Jewish and Christian groups, rather than merely theorizing in a vacuum when it comes to understanding the relationships between Jewish and Christian groups and various dimensions of society and culture.Ph.D