About Michael Motia

works primarily in late ancient Christianity. His first book, Imitations of Infinity, examined the transformation of theories and practices of mimesis—how and why people imitated—during late antiquity. His current work has focused on Christian transformations and inventions of space in the late Roman empire, that is, how new kinds of spaces (hospitals, cells, pillars, and more) shaped their political, social, and theological imaginations. He's also working on a book on color in late antiquity.

He teaches in Religious Studies and Classics at UMass Boston.

Michael Motia teaches in Religious Studies and Classics at UMass Boston.

NBN Episodes hosted by Michael:

Jae Hee Han, "Prophets and Prophecy in the Late Antique Near East" (Cambridge UP, 2023)

April 13, 2024

Prophets and Prophecy in the Late Antique Near East

Jae Hee Han
Hosted by Michael Motia

In Prophets and Prophecy in the Late Antique Near East (Cambridge UP, 2023), Jae Han investigates how various Late Antique Near Eastern communities—Je…

Georgia Frank, "Unfinished Christians: Ritual Objects and Silent Subjects in Late Antiquity" (U Pennsylvania Press, 2024)

April 3, 2024

Unfinished Christians

Georgia Frank
Hosted by Michael Motia

What can we know about the everyday experiences of Christians during the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries? How did non-elite men and women, enslaved…