Religiöse Vereine in der römischen Antike

Against a wide chronological and geographical backdrop, extending from the Roman republic to late antiquity and from Romania to Africa via Asia Minor and Italy, the authors of this volume study the religious associations in Roman antiquity and their relationship to Christian communities. They deal with the specific quality of religious associations (collegia), their supporters, members and organizational structures as well as the amount of time invested by their members. They also examine various strategies used to give the association its identity and the competition among the associations on the 'religious market.' In the second part of the book, they focus on the lay-out of the rooms in the associations' buildings (scholae), analyzing the function of the room and the way it was experienced as well as the decorative elements with which the internal hierarchy could be visualized and a sense of community created.