Religious Dissent In Late Antiquity Reconsiders The Religious History Of The Late Roman Empire, Focusing On The Shifting Position Of Dissenting Religious Groups - Conventionally Called 'pagans' And 'heretics'. The Period From The Mid-fourth Century Until The Mid-fifth Century Ce Witnessed A Significant Transformation Of Late Roman Society And A Gradual Shift From The World Of Polytheistic Religions Into The Christian Empire. Religious Dissent In Late Antiquity Reconsiders The Religious History Of The Late Roman Empire, Focusing On The Shifting Position Of Dissenting Religious Groups - Conventionally Called 'pagans' And 'heretics'. The Period From The Mid-fourth Century Until The Mid-fifth Century Ce Witnessed A Significant Transformation Of Late Roman Society And A Gradual Shift From The World Of Polytheistic Religions Into The Christian Empire. Religious Dissent In Late Antiquity Addresses Two Aspects: Rhetoric And Realities, And Consequently, Delves Into The Interplay Between The Manifest Ideologies And Daily Life Found In Late Antique Sources. It Is A Detailed Analysis Of Selected Themes And A Close Reading Of Selected Texts, Tracing Key Elements And Developments In The Treatment Of Dissident Religious Groups. The Book Focuses On Specific Themes, Such As The Limits Of Imperial Legislation And Ecclesiastical Control, The End Of Sacrifices, And The Label Of Magic. Religious Dissent In Late Antiquity Examines The Ways In Which Dissident Religious Groups Were Construed As Religious Outsiders, But Also Explores Local Rituals And Beliefs In Late Roman Society As Creative Applications And Expressions Of The Infinite Range Of Human Inventiveness.-- Imperial And Ecclesiastical Authority. The Emperor And The Dissenters ; The Realities Of Legislation ; The Bishops And The Dissenters ; The Local Limits Of Imperial And Ecclesiastical Power ; Authority And Aggression -- People In Rhetoric And Realities. Individuals, Groups, And Plural Possibilities In Late Antiquity ; Otherness Outside: Making Pagans ; Deviance Or Otherness Inside: Construing Heretics ; Reactions -- Time, Place, Practices. The Transformation Of Practices ; Economics Of Practices ; Sacred Places And Spaces ; Sacred Times And Spaces ; Rhetoric And Realities Of Magic ; Conclusion: The Darkening Age Or The Victory Of John Doe? Maijastina Kahlos. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 221-259) And Indexes.