History

This volume represents studies on archaeological, textual, and theoretical aspects of urbanism in the ancient Levant during the Iron Age (ca. 1200-600 BCE). In addition, the contributions examine urban-related phenomena in other cultures, regions, and periods, providing a broad overview of evidence for ancient cities in antiquity from both archaeological and textual perspectives.

Peter Chrysologus penned his sermons in such a way that they could become an educational experience. By analysing the sermons of this particular bishop of Ravenna, Lina Hantel paints a picture of how the Gospel was communicated, shedding light on how Chrysologus edified his congregation and subsequently initiated a process of education that extended beyond the preached.

Thomas Müntzer's radicalism is rooted in his radical authority. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit legitimising believers and making them instruments of divine will, they were thus, as Johannes Elberskirch shows in this volume, afforded the same authority and teaching power that the Roman Church held in pre- and anti-reformation understanding.

Based on current needs for orientation and challenges to church history as a sub-discipline of theology, Christian Volkmar Witt examines the orientational value of the scholarly dialogue with the past. He brings together medieval theories of time, approaches from institutional theory, as well as questions of historical theory and philosophy of history to propose how the distinctive character, concerns, and potential of theologically responsible church history can be described in an interdisciplinary way.