Imperial Religious Policy from Constantine to Theodosius I, a historical study by Italian historian and essayist Ferdinando Emilio Abbate, has been praised by leading U.S. review outlets, including Publishers Weekly, BookLife Reviews, Foreword Clarion Reviews, and BlueInk Review.
In its January 5 issue, Publishers Weekly recommends the book as “great for fans of Ramsay MacMullen’s Christianizing the Roman Empire and Alice Roberts’s Domination,” praising Abbate’s “crisply authoritative prose attentive to politics and practicalities” and his ability to illuminate how Rome’s embrace of Christianity and abandonment of paganism “transpired so quickly.”
Covering the period from Diocletian’s Tetrarchy to the reign of Theodosius I, the book offers a concise yet detailed account of the transformation of the Roman Empire into a “most Christian empire.” Abbate examines the competing imperial strategies of tolerance and persecution, the role of Constantine in asserting imperial authority over religious matters, and the final consolidation of Christian orthodoxy under Theodosius.
According to Publishers Weekly, “Abbate’s research and argumentation are convincing,” presenting “a streamlined and well-organized case” that sheds “welcome light on a complex historical transition.” BookLife Reviews similarly notes that Abbate’s analysis is “convincing,” praising its clarity, organization, and depth, while BlueInk Review describes the volume as “a solid reference for fellow historians and scholars of early Christianity.”
Foreword Clarion Reviews highlights the author’s erudition, calling the book “rich in facts and peculiar details” and “a succinct history text that tracks the power struggles and shifting political ground of fourth-century Rome.”
Now available to English-language readers, Imperial Religious Policy from Constantine to Theodosius I is intended for scholars, students, and informed general readers interested in Roman imperial history, early Christianity, and the evolving relationship between political power and religion.
About the Author
Ferdinando Emilio Abbate, born in 1961, is an Italian attorney, historian, and essayist. He has contributed to the national newspaper Avvenire and has received several literary awards, including the 2023 Tralerighe Storia Prize for The Battle of Keren: The Agony of Italian East Africa. In the Historica series published by Jouvence and curated by a scientific committee including Franco Cardini and Gábor Klaniczay, he published Friedland: The Battle that Marked the Apogee of the Empire (2024). His forthcoming book, From Nero to Vespasian: 69 AD, The First Great Crisis of the Empire, is currently in press.
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Contact: scigliano.g@libero.it
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Company Name: Studio legale Abbate
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City: Rome
Country: Italy
Website: https://www.pmedizioni.it/prodotto/imperial-religious-policy-from-constantine-to-theodosius-i/
