From Corpus Politicum to Corpus Mysticum: The Body Between State and Church in the Early Roman Empire

Although corporality has only fairly recently become a topic of interest in the social sciences, Marius Lazurca’s extensive study shows how the debate surrounding the body has been essential in the development of the relationship between the deeply rooted Graeco-Roman and the emerging Christian worldviews. The author explains how the body has found itself at the intersection between various discourses, such as philosophy, medicine, law and theology, and how it is key to understanding the significant social and religious transformations taking place in the Early Roman Empire.