Project Kickoff! Revelation’s New Jerusalem in the Age of Imperial Christianity (ca. 313–ca. 600)


This post marks the launch of the blog for my DFG-funded research project at the University of Regensburg, "Revelation’s New Jerusalem in the Age of Imperial Christianity (ca. 313–ca. 600) ("Das Neue Jerusalem der Apokalypse des Johannes im Zeitalter des imperialen Christentums (ca. 313–ca. 600)"). This project is currently funded through March of 2027.

My sincerest thanks to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for accepting my application and granting me the privilege to carry on my research on this fascinating topic. My thanks also to Prof. Dr. Andreas Merkt for sponsoring this project, and to Tobias Nicklas for bringing me to the Beyond Canon Centre in Regensburg 18 months ago to write the application. 

This blog, while informal, is meant to be a place where, in addition to my posts elsewhere in the digital world, the public can catch a glimpse of some of the work that I'm up to. 

In the months and years ahead, all sorts of things will appear on this blog: 

  • Project news and updates
  • Neat stuff I find as I read and write
  • Lines of research I'm opening up as I go
  • Announcements of events I'm involved in
  • Abstracts and summaries of my work
  • Links to my new publications, articles, books
  • New ideas I'm having related to my work
...and, generally, just all things New Jerusalem related that I find neat, noteworthy, or otherwise worth broadcasting beyond the confines of my immediate research context! 

Coming up soon: the project's description! 

Photo: Triumphal arch, apse wall, and apse mosaics in the Basilica of Santa Prassede, Rome. Executed in ca. AD 828, the mosaics were created in a self-consciously ancient style and draw on much earlier iconography and compositional approaches. Note the characteristic prevalence of apocalyptic imagery throughout and the representation of Revelation's walled New Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22) spanning the triumphal arch at the top of this image. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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