Nathalie Klinck

Arbeitsbereich Alte Geschichte

Betreuerin: Prof. Dr. Sabine Panzram

Abstract: The PhD project „Christianus/a sum – Nordafrikas Märtyrer. Zur Funktion von Heiligenverehrung im frühen Christentum“ deals with the social and political function of the late antique veneration of saints in North Africa in a longue dureé perspective from the 2nd-6th century. Through a detailed analysis of the hagiographic narratives within the archaeological evidences – in particular epigraphical sources – it will be shown how and by whom influence on the martyr cults could be exerted and for what purposes they could be used. Thus, the work focuses on the embedding of the cults in society, but also on the political developments as well as transcultural aspects in North Africa. This is because the martyr cults were given political and social explosive power, which had to be dealt with in a specific local or regional way. The project aims to work out the ambivalent way in which the cults function and their integration in local and individual needs, by the community or especially by the clergy. Special attention should be paid to female martyrs and their representation. Central guiding questions of the work aiming therefore to explain the popularity of certain martyrs, saints and their cults, the role that the veneration of saints play for the cities and regions, and how they are staged and instrumentalized. Categories such as gender, expectation of salvation and miraculousness form important heuristic points of reference.  

Mitarbeiterinnenseite beim RomanIslam – Center for Comparative Empire and Transcultural Studies