“The book’s topic well deserves serious attention, and this volume brings the appropriate mix of theoretical insight and specific case studies to the task … The editorial team represented here are leading scholars in the field of ritual studies.” – Jonathan Schwiebert, Lenoir-Rhyne University, USA Ritual, Emotion, and Materiality in the Early Christian World This volume advances our understanding of early Christianity as a lived religion by approaching it through its rites, the emotions and affects surrounding those rites, and the material setting for the practice of them. The connections between emotions and ritual, between rites and their materiality, and between emotions and their physical manifestation in ancient Mediterranean culture have been inadequately explored as yet, especially with regard to early Christianity and its water and dining rites. Readers will find all three areas—ritual, emotion, and materiality—engaged in this exemplary interdisciplinary study, which provides fresh insights into early Christianity and its world. Ritual, Emotion, and Materiality in the Early Christian World will be of special interest to interdisciplinary-minded researchers, seminarians, and students who are attentive to theory and method, and those with an interest in the New Testament and earliest Christianity. It will also appeal to those working on ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman religion, emotion, and ritual from a comparative standpoint. Soham Al-Suadi is Professor of New Testament Studies and Dean on the Faculty of Theology at the University of Rostock (Germany). She is a member of the steering committee of the Society of Biblical Literature’s Seminar on Meals in the Greco-Roman World. Richard S. Ascough is Professor of Religious Studies at Queen’s University (Canada) and has published widely on the social dynamics of early Christ groups as well as Greek and Roman associations. His most recent book is 1 and 2 Thessalonians: Encountering the Christ Group at Thessalonike. Richard E. DeMaris is a Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University (U.S.A.). His recent publications include Early Christian Ritual Life, co-edited with J. T. Lamoreaux and S. C. Muir (Routledge, 2017) and The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Ritual, co-edited with R. Uro, J. J. Day, and R. Roitto. Ritual in the Ancient Mediterranean Scholarly interest in the ritual life of the ancient Near East, Greco-Roman societies, and both ancient Christianity and Judaism has increased considerably in the last decade, no doubt a reflection of the rising interest in ritual across many fields in the social sciences and humanities—and in western societies generally. This series supports scholarship that utilizes up-to-date ritual theory, and does so critically, to produce innovative studies that challenge conventional views and offer alternative viewpoints on the ancient Mediterranean world. Series Editor: Richard E. DeMaris, Valparaiso University, USA Advisory Board of Associate Editors: Emma Blake, University of Arizona, USA; Thomas Kazen, Stockholm School of Theology, Sweden; Jacob A. Latham, University of Tennessee, USA; Rubina Raja, Aarhus University, Denmark; Daniel Ullucci, Stonehill College, USA Titles include: Ritual, Emotion, and Materiality in the Early Christian World Edited by Soham Al-Saudi, Richard S. Ascough, and Richard E. DeMaris For more information about this series, please visit: www .routledge .com /Ritual -in -the -Ancient -Mediterranean /book -series /RITAM Ritual, Emotion, and Materiality in the Early Christian World Edited by Soham Al-Suadi, Richard S. Ascough, and Richard E. DeMaris First published 2022 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Soham Al-Suadi, Richard S. Ascough, and Richard E. DeMaris; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Soham Al-Suadi, Richard S. Ascough, and Richard E. DeMaris to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Al-Suadi, Soham, 1980- editor. | Ascough, Richard S., editor. | DeMaris, Richard E., editor. Title: Ritual, emotion, and materiality in the early Christian world/ edited by Soham Al-Suadi, Richard S. Ascough and Richard E. DeMaris. Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: CRC Press, 2022. | Series: Ritual in the ancient Mediterranean | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2021040081 (print) | LCCN 2021040082 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032054797 (hbk) | ISBN 9781032054834 (pbk) | ISBN 9781003197720 (ebk) Subjects: LCSH: Church history–Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600. | Rites and ceremonies–History. | Emotions–Religious aspects–Christianity- -History. | Christianity and culture–History. | Bible. New Testament– Criticism, interpretation, etc. Classification: LCC BR165 .R63 2022 (print) | LCC BR165 (ebook) | DDC 270.1–dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021040081 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021040082 ISBN: 978-1-032-05479-7 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-05483-4 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-19772-0 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003197720 Typeset in Times New Roman by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India In memory of Dr. Jens Börstinghaus, esteemed friend and researcher, who passed from this life far too soon Contents List of figures xi List of tables xiii List of contributors xiv Acknowledgements xvi List of abbreviations xvii Introduction 1 SOHAM AL-SUADI 1 Theorizing ritual, emotion, and material 9 SHARDAY C. MOSURINJOHN 2 Emotional display in the necropoli at Roman Thessalonike 23 RICHARD S. ASCOUGH 3 Water Rites in the world of the New Testament: Archaeological Highlights 42 KLAUS-MICHAEL BULL 4 Water rites in Greek and Roman associations 65 RICHARD S. ASCOUGH 5 Water rites, emotions, and epiphanic encounters in the literary and material record of the Roman east 82 RICHARD E. DEMARIS 6 Ritual experience and emotions: The right place for water rites in Luke-Acts 103 SOHAM AL-SUADI