Sacred ritual, profane space : the Roman house as early Christian meeting place

249 Pages·2018·3.695 MB·English

by  Cianca, Jenn

Sacred ritual,
Profane SPace
Studies in Christianity and Judaism
Series editor: Terence L. Donaldson
The Studies in Christianity and Judaism series publishes volumes deal-
ing with Christianity and Judaism in their formative periods, with special
interest in studies of the relationships between them and of the cultural
and social contexts within which they developed.
The series is sponsored by the Canadian Corporation for Studies in
Religion whose constituent societies include the Canadian Society of
Biblical Studies, Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Canadian
Society of Patristic Studies, Canadian Theological Society, Société cana-
dienne de théologie, and Société québécoise pour l’étude de la religion.
1 Sacred Ritual, Profane Space
The Roman House as Early Christian Meeting Place
Jenn Cianca
Sacred ritual,
Profane SPace
The Roman House as
Early Christian Meeting Place
Jenn Cianca
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Montreal & Kingston ∙ London ∙ Chicago
© McGill-Queen’s University Press 2018
ISBN 978-0-7735-5332-3 (cloth)
ISBN 978-0-7735-5333-0 (paper)
ISBN 978-0-7735-5424-5 (ePDF)
ISBN 978-0-7735-5425-2 (ePUB)

Legal deposit second quarter 2018
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec

Printed in Canada on acid-free paper that is 100% ancient forest free (100% post-
consumer recycled), processed chlorine free

This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Canadian Federation for
the Humanities and Social Sciences, through the Awards to Scholarly Publications Pro-
gram, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada. Funding has also been received from Bishop’s University.

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year
invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous
remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a
investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des
Canadiens de tout le pays.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Cianca, Jenn, 1978–, author
Sacred ritual, profane space : the Roman house as early Christian meeting place /
Jenn Cianca.
(Studies in Christianity and Judaism series ; 1)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-0-7735-5332-3 (cloth). – ISBN 978-0-7735-5333-0 (paper). – ISBN 978-0-7735-
5424-5 (ePDF). – ISBN 978-0-7735-5425-2 (ePUB)
1. House churches – Rome. 2. Sacred space – Rome. 3. Domestic space – Rome.
4. Christianity – Rome. 5. Rites and ceremonies – Rome. 6. Rome – Religion. I. Title.
II. Series: Studies in Christianity and Judaism series ; 1
BV601.85.C53 2018 250.937 C2018-900075-9
C2018-900076-7

This book was typeset by Sandra Friesen in 10.5/13 Minion.
For Mark, after all

Contents
Figures ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 3
One The Context of House-Church Christianity 13
Two Roman Domestic Space 34
Three Roman Domestic Worship 53
Four House-Church Christianity and
Roman Domestic Worship 80
Five Placing Ritual: Christians in the Roman House 112
Six Sacred Space and the House Church 136
Conclusion Towards a Theory of Sacred Space in
House-Church Christianity 168

Notes 173
Bibliography 223
Index 235

Figures
3.1 Lararium niche, Caseggiato del Larario, Ostia 64
3.2 Outdoor aedicular shrine, Herculaneum 65
3.3 Painted lararium from the Caupona of Euxinus, Pompeii.
The image of the painted lararium, is from a thermopolium,
rather than a domestic space, but is of a type consistent with
other examples found in Campania. See, for example, the
extensively painted wall in the House of Sutoria Primigenia,
Pompeii, and the painted lararium with incorporated altar
in the House of the Lararium, Terzigno. 66
3.4 Aeneas sacrificing, Ara Pacis (detail) 68
3.5 The so-called Symmachi-Nichomachi Diptych 70
4.1 Floor plan, renovated Christian building at Dura Europos 91
4.2 Floor plan, Lullingstone Roman villa 105