Macquarie University

Post-Doc, Ancient History

Post Doctoral Fellow in Early Christianity

About

I am currently a post doctoral researcher at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. My academic interests include the study of ancient Mediterranean cultures (with special attention to early Christians) and methodological problems in the study of religion.

My first book is is a history of the concept of religion with a focus on antiquity.  Since no ancient language has a term or concept that neatly maps on to what most modern people mean when they say "religion," I have attempted to provide an account of how it is that religion came into being as  sphere of life distinct (or at least ideally distinct) from other realms, such as politics, economics, and science.  The book demonstrates that groups often described as "ancient religions" (for example, followers of Jesus, Mani, and Muhammad) actually identified themselves and were identified by outsiders in rather different terms.  I then consider the birth of the study of these so-called ancient religions and reflect on the ways in which such study naturalizes the concept of religion to make it appear universal and necessary.

My current research centers on early Christian Greek literary papyri.  I am reassessing the dates assigned to these papyri and examining the social history of the publication of the papyri in the early 20th century.

I have previously served as a visiting assistant professor at Oberlin College and as a lecturer at Yale University.

Contact Information