Review: Pagans and Christians in Late Antique Rome: Conflict, Competition, and Coexistence in the Fourth Century, edited by Michele Renée Salzman, Mariane Sághy, and Rita Lizzi Testa

This volume, derived from a 2012 conference, is structured in three sections: “Senatorial Politics and Religious Conflict,” “The Construction of New Religious Identities,” and “Pagans and Christians: Coexistence and Competition.” As the title suggests, the overall thesis of the volume is that the relationship between Christianity and paganism has been misunderstood as conflict, rather than healthy competition or peaceful co-existence. This is typically explored within the framework of Rome, and from the later fourth century onwards. However, while most, but not all, of the contributors write on subjects specific to Rome, the book's scope is wider than it might initially appear, including topics extending back to Constantine I and ranging much...