A regional study of the Christianization of Crete. Insularity and religious change

The spread of Christianity in Late Antiquity is a central process throughout the Mediterranean. Various conditions influenced the speed and the degree of Christianization. An essential condition was the geographical situation, e.g. if the region under consideration is an island. This has already been worked out in different studies regarding Cyprus and Sicily, but not in a similar intensity regarding  Crete. I assume, within the scope of my study, that the insularity played a special role on the process of Christianization, causing interesting constellations and differences in the port cities and coastal regions. However, the term insularity shall not be understood as “isolated space”. Focusing rather on the connectivity of the island, in combination with centuries-old sea connections to the north, south, east and west is an appealing perspective to research, the effects of which, is reflected in the material culture, in the change of the cityscape and finally in the adaptation of art and architecture.

The analysis of the theological and historical sources form the first part of the comprehensive investigation. These include, among others, the analysis of the written evidences about the Apostle Paul, who presumably visited Crete and was the starting point of the Christianization, as well as about Saint Titus, who experienced a literary réécriture hagiographique in the 5th and 6th centuries and is thus firmly anchored in the collective memory, similar to Barnabas in Cyprus. The Ten Martyrs of Crete, who were from five different places, already testify to a large-scale spread of the faith community in this early epoch.

After the Constantinian turn, Cretan representatives attended councils outside of Crete, such as the Council of Serdica in 343. Here another exciting feature of Crete comes into play regarding its jurisdictional dependence. The island has administratively belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire since 395, but was ecclesiastically tied to the Pope in Rome until the 8th century. With regard to the strategies and positions of the early church of Crete, the mere examination of which representatives took part in which councils is extremely promising.

Other subjects of investigation, which form the second part of the study, are all material cultural assets and buildings, including in particular the development and emergence of churches, Christian tombs and other monuments and places. These investigations become particularly exciting in the context of the coexistence of different religions, as well as the interaction with the traditional sacred spaces of the island, such as temples, caves and peaks. In the period from 450 to 600 alone, over 80 churches are recorded on Crete. Previous research has concentrated on the individual monuments that were built during this period. In the context of my research, a holistic view of the entire ecclesiastical building activity will now be undertaken. I would like to show how cities and entire landscapes and regions were changed by the spread of Christianity. This also includes the emerging monasteries,pilgrimage sites and also the areas and routes along which Christianization developed.

On the basis of the compiled written and material corpus, the insularity hypothesis will be discussed in the context of the Christianization process. A development model for the Christianization phases on Crete is going to be worked out as a final result and output. Overall, the work is an interdisciplinary project that also involves the departments of history, philology and theology.

 

Supervision: Prof. Dr. Vasiliki Tsamakda, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

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Gerda Henkel Stiftung (April 2024-März 2026)