The Slow Fall of Babel

Languages and Identities in Late Antique Christianity

Yuliya Minets

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Hardback

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English

Cambridge University Press
09 December 2021

Language: history & general works; Middle Eastern history; Ancient history: to c 500 CE; The Early Church

This is the story of the transformation of the ways in which the increasingly Christianized elites of the late antique Mediterranean experienced and conceptualized linguistic differences. The metaphor of Babel stands for the magnificent edifice of classical culture that was about to reach the sky, but remained self-sufficient and self-contained in its virtual monolingualism – the paradigm within which even Latin was occasionally considered just a dialect of Greek. The gradual erosion of this vision is the slow fall of Babel that took place in the hearts and minds of a good number of early Christian writers and intellectuals who represented various languages and literary traditions. This step-by-step process included the discovery and internalization of the existence of multiple other languages in the world, as well as subsequent attempts to incorporate their speakers meaningfully into the holistic and distinctly Christian picture of the universe.

By: Yuliya Minets
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 157mm, Spine: 29mm
Weight: 773g
ISBN: 9781108833462
ISBN 10: 1108833462
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 09 December 2021
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Yuliya Minets is an Assistant Professor of Ancient History at Jacksonville State University.

Reviews for The Slow Fall of Babel: Languages and Identities in Late Antique Christianity

'Rich in source material, this monograph presents a coherent narrative regarding early Christian linguistic reflection, providing necessary background information for those new to the subject, anchoring elite Christian discussions of the topic in biblical exegesis, and carefully commenting on the lived experience of linguistic diversity. Quite apart from its own ambitions, the book is a treasure trove of references to Christian reflections on language, including many sources that may not immediately come to mind.' Philip Forness, Bryn Mawr Classical Review