Being Christian in Vandal Africa: The Politics of Orthodoxy in the Post-Imperial West Volume 59 - Hardcover

by Robin Whelan (Author)

Being Christian in Vandal Africa investigates conflicts over Christian orthodoxy in the Vandal kingdom, the successor to Roman rule in North Africa, ca. 439 to 533 c.e. Exploiting neglected texts, author Robin Whelan exposes a sophisticated culture of disputation between Nicene ("Catholic") and Homoian ("Arian") Christians and explores their rival claims to political and religious legitimacy. These contests--sometimes violent--are key to understanding the wider and much-debated issues of identity and state formation in the post-imperial West.

Front Jacket

Whelan's writing is a joy to read. Being Christian in Vandal Africa makes a genuine and substantial contribution to a field of study that has seen a great deal of exciting activity in recent years. Whelan complements a firm mastery of existing secondary scholarship with deft and sensitive readings of previously understudied primary materials. This is a tremendous book.--Andy Merrills, Associate Professor of Ancient History, University of Leicester

"This splendid book is, quite simply, the finest discussion of religion in the Vandal kingdom that I have read. The analysis presented here challenges us to rethink religious controversy not just in Africa but across the post-Roman West."--Jonathan P. Conant, Associate Professor of History, Brown University

"This is a remarkable first book by a young scholar. . . . it skillfully analyzes Christian texts from Vandal North Africa that have not received enough attention but which, as Whelan masterly shows, nevertheless constitute a significant contribution to the understanding of the period. . . . I highly recommend his book to anyone working on early Christianity."--Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Author Biography

Robin Whelan is Lecturer in History at the University of Liverpool.