Imprisoned for Christ: Captivity and Identity in Early Christianity

This interactive workshop invites students, early-career researchers, and scholars interested in Late Antique history, early Christianity, Roman history, religious studies, and related disciplines to explore the experiences and representations of Christian prisoners in the Roman world. Rather than focusing solely on martyrdom, the workshop examines imprisonment as a social, legal, and theological space. Through a combination of a short introductory presentation, collaborative analysis of primary sources, and guided discussion, participants will consider how captivity became a powerful setting for the construction of Christian identity and communal memory. Participants will engage with selected texts, including excerpts from The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity, the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, and the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea. No prior expertise in Late Antique prison history is required.