Religion and the Ancient World


Central to this research area are religious phenomena in Antiquity (3000 BC - AD 600). Within our research group, the focus lies on the one hand on the religious cultures of the ancient Near East and the Graeco-Roman world, and on the other hand on the two great monotheistic religions of the Mediterranean region, Judaism and Christianity. Both the written and performative cultures of these religious cultures/religions are of central interest.
Religion encompasses state and private religion. Since, in Antiquity, state religion and political practices, concepts and theories were inextricably intertwined and private religion was part of everyday life, the research interests of our group go beyond the religious and also include the political and social spheres. Regarding these three dimensions, special emphasis lies on the formation of identity, both of individuals and institutions, as well as on processes of transformation and interaction of religious, political, and social phenomena.












Postdocs Doctoral candidates
Dr. Gösta Ingvar Gabriel

Dr. Erika Manders

Insa Agena

Annika Gilbert