FEATURED AUTHOR
Chris L. de Wet
I am a specialist on the social history of the late antique Roman East, with an interest in early Christianity, slavery, gender and sexuality, medicine, religious conflict, Syriac literature, and John Chrysostom's works. I approach ancient sources through modern critical philosophical frameworks. My first monograph, entitled "Preaching Bondage: John Chrysostom and the Discourse of Slavery in Early Christianity" appeared in 2015. I am also Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Early Christian History.
Subjects: Classical Studies, Gender & Sexuality, History, Philosophy, Religion
Biography
Chris de Wet is an associate professor in the Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies at the University of South Africa. He holds a DLitt in Ancient Greek and an MA in Ancient Languages and Cultures from the University of Pretoria. He started working as a junior academic in 2004, and was appointed at UNISA in 2008. His research focuses on the social and cultural history of early Christianity in the later Roman Empire, specifically on slavery, gender, religious violence, and ancient healthcare and medicine. He is proficient in the languages of ancient Greek, Latin, Syriac, and Hebrew. He has presented over 55 papers at local and international conferences. He has published over 46 articles in South African and internationally accredited and peer-reviewed journals, and numerous book chapters, including studies in Journal of Early Christian Studies, Biblical Interpretation, Biblische Notizen, and Religion & Theology. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Early Christian History. He has written two monographs—both on slavery in the ancient world—entitled, Preaching Bondage: John Chrysostom and the Discourse of Slavery in Early Christianity (University of California Press, 2015), and The Unbound God: Slavery and the Formation of Early Christian Thought (Routledge, 2017). He currently holds a Y1 rating from the National Research Foundation of South Africa. He also supervises postgraduate students on master's and doctoral levels, and is available to supervise students who meet the admission requirements for postgraduate studies at the University of South Africa.Education
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DLitt (Ancient Greek), University of Pretoria
MA (Ancient Languages & Cultural History), Univ. of Pretoria
BA Hons (Ancient Greek), Rand Afrikaans University
BA Hons (Theology), Rand Afrikaans University
BA (Theology), Rand Afrikaans University
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Early Christianity
Late Ancient Studies
New Testament Studies (especially the reception of the New Testament in early Christianity and early Christian biblical interpretation)
Patristics
Ancient History
Slavery
Ancient Medicine
Gender and Sexuality in Antiquity
Religious Conflict in the Ancient World
John Chrysostom
Syriac Christian Literature, Culture, and Thought
Personal Interests
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My current interests are:
1. Slavery and discourse and practice in the ancient world;
2. Medicine and healthcare in early Christianity;
3. Gender and sexuality in the ancient world;
4. Religious conflict in late antiquity.
Books
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