Dates: Anticipated October 9-15, 2027
Faculty Tour Leader: Dr. Gerry Wheaton
Cost: $1950*
Join us for a study trip to Rome designed to compliment the Fall 2027 course on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. The goal is not simply to tour major monuments but to use Rome’s archaeology, neighborhoods, religious sites, and material culture to help students and alumni imagine the social world of Paul and the earliest Christians to read Romans. Particular emphasis will fall on first-century urban life, Jewish and Christian communities, imperial ideology, social status, pagan religion, commerce, and everyday life. We will also take the opportunity to view later artwork at the Vatican and other museums.
Our residency will be based in Rome, Italy, with opportunities to experience surrounding towns and sites. An array of sites will introduce students to Roman public life, spectacle, patronage, honor and status, civic religion, and imperial power. These include the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill; San Clemente and Palazzo Massimo; Via Appia and early Christian Catacombs. A full day will be devoted to nearby Ostia Antica whose streets, apartment buildings, shops, baths, temples, synagogues, and commercial spaces provide a vivid picture of everyday Roman urban life. A half-day will be given to the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica.
Current students can take this course for credit or official audit. Non-students are also welcome, and will participate fully in all the activities, lectures, and discussions.
Participants should be aware that some site visits may require walking up to 1 mile, sometimes over uneven terrain, while other site visits are fully accessible.
*Notes about the course fee:
