Publication Date:
September 16, 2021
Congratulations to Maria Doerfler, recipient of the 2021 Best FIrst Book in the History of Religions award from the American Academy of Religions!
This annual competition recognizes new scholarly publications that make significant contributions to the study of religion. The awards honor books of distinctive originality, intelligence, and creativity, and these titles affect decisively how religion is examined, understood, and interpreted.
From the jury:
In this lucidly and lyrically written book, Maria E. Doerfler plumbs the fragmentary historical record for evidence of how members of Christian communities in Late Antiquity responded to the deaths of children. In examining a variety of textual genres including commentary, homilies, hymns, prayers, and letters, Doerfler deftly illuminates the variegated ways in which Christians were urged to understand and experience their grief.