“Corinth in Context: Comparative Perspectives on Religion and Society” is intended to expand on the discussions begun at our earlier conference, now published as Urban Religion in Roman Corinth: Interdisciplinary Approaches (Harvard University Press, 2005). In that conference, archaeologists, historians, specialists in early Christian studies and other scholars presented papers on several different religious phenomena. In this symposium, we will focus on themes of continuity and change in the cultural and civic life of Corinth, while broadening the contexts of our analysis. Basic questions include the following. Where do we see signs of new religious and social developments in Corinth? Which features survive the changing fortunes of the city? Which do not? How do governance and economy affect religious phenomena? To what extent are these phenomena common in other urban settings?

This conference is designed as a multi-discipline symposium that will analyze Corinth's distinctive religious and social features. Some papers will pursue thematic comparisons that are local, regional, or international, while others will present diachronic comparisons of Corinth through different historical periods. These papers will contribute to the integration of a range of data, including architecture, inscriptions, coins, pottery, literature, skeletal remains and organic material in the fields of ancient religion and society. The conference will pay particular (but not exclusive) attention to these issues during the Roman period. The overall goal is to contribute to the development of a contextualized understanding of religion and society at Corinth.