This course (RELI 189) examines religion and identity in the late antique Mediterranean of the fifth and sixth centuries CE, with a focus on the reign of Emperor Justinian I. It explores how religious and communal identities were constructed, contested, and transformed amid the political, social, and cultural changes of the period.  Focusing on interactions among pagans, Jews, Christians, Manichaeans, and other communities, the course analyzes how theological debates, legal frameworks, and ritual practices shaped boundaries of belonging. Special attention is given to relationships between dominant groups and marginalized communities, processes of inclusion and exclusion, and the ways religious difference intersected with questions of authority, citizenship, and social hierarchy.  By situating religious life within broader dynamics of power, the course invites students to consider how late antique societies negotiated diversity and difference at a moment of profound transformation.

This RELI 189 seminar will be taught in Fall 2026 on Mondays, 3- 5:50pm.