Interpreting conversion in antiquity (and beyond)

This essay explores the persistent scholarly desires and motivations that structure historical study of conversion in religious studies. Most “conversion studies” take a phenomenological approach, which acknowledges diverse processes, contexts, meanings but nonetheless sees phenomenon as way to access contours global religion. Phenomenology reveals desire for bounded religions arranged comparable system, “religion.” A hermeneutical approach does not seek stable asks why discourse is deployed. form narrative interpretation can open up new possibilities what we think religion can, should, do. The specific examples Jewish Christianity late antiquity act case