Two years ago and then last year I was scheduled to do give lectures on a tour in Italy, starting in Rome and going to Naples, Pompeii (!), and Sorrento.  I was eager to do it — great places!   But alas, it was cancelled both times.   BUT, it’s back on, as I’ve announced.  AND there is still some room for travelers.  Interested?  My topic is the relationship of Christianity and traditional Roman religions and cultures in the early centuries CE:  “Christians and Pagans.”

The tour company, Thalassa, is terrific; it will be a small and intimate group and we will have tons of time to talk, discuss, and hang out together.   They are now accepting registrations for the trip.  Below is a poster for it, with a link for more information.  Here is part of what I say about my lectures.

When Christianity arrived on the world stage in the first century AD, Rome and the Empire it founded were predominantly “pagan” – filled with a large number of polytheistic religions worshiping the Greek and Roman Gods. On this tour, we will examine how the Christian faith first came to the Italian peninsula, and especially Rome, the city destined to be the epicenter of Christianity. In particular, we will explore the clash of religions and cultures: between the pagan cults of Rome and the Christian church that was to become the official religion of the empire for centuries to come.

It’s a terrific brochure.  Check it out and see!

 

Thalassa Journeys in the Roman World

JOURNEY HIGHLIGHTS

Travel with and learn from Prof. Bart D. Ehrman, one of the world’s foremost authorities on early Christianity.

• Discover the fabled Amalfi coast and its historic towns and villages.

• Marvel at the architectural grandeur of buildings and the beauty of art objects, considered among the finest in Europe.

• Walk the same streets as ancient Romans walked in Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Rome.

• Visit the early churches of Christianity such as the Pantheon and the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

• Feast on the food for which Southern Italy and Rome are justly famous.