Synopses & Reviews
Michael Peppard provides a historical and theological reassessment of the oldest Christian building ever discovered, the third-century house-church at Dura-Europos. Contrary to commonly held assumptions about Christian initiation, Peppard contends that rituals here did not primarily embody notions of death and resurrection. Rather, he portrays the motifs of the churchandrsquo;s wall paintings as those of empowerment, healing, marriage, and incarnation, while boldly reidentifying the figure of a woman formerly believed to be a repentant sinner as the Virgin Mary. This richly illustrated volume is a breakthrough work that enhances our understanding of early Christianity at the nexus of Bible, art, and ritual.
Review
andquot;Michael Peppardandrsquo;s compelling analysis is not only a methodological milestone and a good read, it unravels a few mysteries and undermines some long-standing assumptions about the and#39;worldandrsquo;s oldest church.and#39;andquot;andnbsp;andmdash;Robin M. Jensen, Vanderbilt University
Review
andldquo;In this compelling analysis, Peppard astutely considers iconography and inscriptions in their actual liturgical and cultural contexts. Not only is it a methodological milestone and a good read, it unravels a few mysteries and undermines some long-standing assumptions about the andlsquo;worldandrsquo;s oldest church.andrsquo;andquot;andmdash;Robin M. Jensen, Universityandnbsp;of Notre Dame
Review
andldquo;Michael Peppard brings new life to the tantalizing wall paintings of the pre-Constantinian church at Dura-Europos. Using a careful process of historical imagination, he draws meaning from the paintings through an illuminating marriage ofandnbsp;images with texts, Greek and Syriac, that are inevitably later in date.andrdquo;andmdash;Sebastian P. Brock, University of Oxford
Review
andldquo;Skillfully weaving his analyses of art andnbsp;and ritual with texts popular among ancient Syrian Christians, Michael Peppard invites us to enter an interpretive world distinctively different from that which we encounter in the Christianity of the Greek East and the Latin West. An innovative and engaging exploration of a famous early Christian site.andrdquo;andmdash;Elizabeth A. Clark, Duke University
Review
andldquo;Michael Peppard offers not only revelatory interpretations of the Dura-Europos murals but also a rich reconstruction of the baptismal spirituality of one early Christian community. andnbsp;A landmark in the study of early Christian art and ritual.andrdquo;andmdash;David Brakke, The Ohio State University
Review
andldquo;Peppard provides a wonderful interdisciplinary study of this ancient Syrian Church, attending not only to its architecture and art, but especially to the liturgical context of its murals within the unique Syrian rites of Christian initiation, focused on pre-baptismal anointing as the ritual high point. This book will be of value not only to historians in general, but to art historians, students of ancient Middle Eastern culture, and, not least, to liturgical historians and theologians.andrdquo;andmdash;Maxwell E. Johnson, author of
The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation, second revised edition
About the Author
Michael Peppard is assistant professor in the Department of Theology at Fordham University. His first book, The Son of God in the Roman World, won the Manfred Lautenschlandauml;ger Award for Theological Promise. He lives in New York.