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vii •Acknowledgments The research for this book started (too long ago) in the very congenial and productive context of the program Les identités religieuses dans les mondes grec et romain d’Alexandre à Justinien,directed by Nicole Belayche and Simon Mimouni (Paris,2001–2005). Mark Vessey’s invitation to contribute a chapter to his Companion to Augustine came at the right time to set me back to work on the topic of being Christian in late antiquity. The conceptual framework of the project was refined and tuned during a graduate seminar at Cornell University in 2010. With their patience and inquisitiveness the participants helped me tighten up my approach. Jörg Rüpke’s generous invitation to join the Max-Weber Kolleg für kultur- und sozialwissenschaftliche Studien (Erfurt Universität) as a fellow in 2010–2011 provided invaluable time for writing and audiences for discussion. I thank all the fellows, students,and staff members of the MWK for welcoming me and my family in Erfurt and making our year there so fruitful. I also thank Jörg for reading the first draft of the whole book and making many insightful comments. The final version of the book was written—and many references checked—in Oxford. I thank Neil McLynn for facilitating my election as Visiting Scholar at Corpus Christi for Michaelmas and Hilary Terms. Special thanks are due to the chair of the department of classics, Charles Brittain, to the dean of the College of Arts and Science,and to the provost of Cornell University for allowing and funding a second year of leave. I owe encouragements and forceful comments to Claire Sotinel who read a very early draft of the introduction and first two chapters. Peter Brown was inspirational early in the project,when he directed my attention to Rogers Brubaker’s ethnographical work. I wish I could have included all the conclusions he invited me to draw after reading the final draft of the book. I must acknowledge the invaluable work of Alice Brigance,who not only carefully edited my English text but also helped me clarify many points with her questions and comments. Linda Brown’s help has been vital, fetching books or articles left in my office at Cornell and sending scanned versions of them almost instantaneously. Last, but not least, my thanks go to my wife, Suzanne, and my son, Emile, who cheerfully followed me to Germany and England! ...

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