From paganism to piety: tracing the Christianization process in the southern Black Sea

Abstract

This thesis examines the spread of Christianity in Bithynia and Pontus, a topic that remains a lacuna in the academic literature. Through a multi-dimensional survey that covers textual, hagiographical, epigraphic, and material evidence and engaging with the central debates in archaeology about the identification of religious identity through material remains and the patterns and mechanisms of Christianization, it provides a comprehensive account of the history of Bithynia and Pontus, which it traces in religious and secular texts from the pre- Constantinian period, and discusses specific epigraphic finds and archaeological sites in relation to its central theme as well as challenges related to the preservation and interpretation of evidence and avenues for future research. These findings help contribute the understanding of early Christian identity and its development in the Black Sea region as well as the broader debates on the archaeology of religion and the Christianization of the Asia Minor.