The Centre for the Study of the Western Tradition at Campion College is delighted to announce an upcoming symposium, “Shepherd at the Crossroads: Converging Traditions in Early Christianity,” to be held on September 27-28, 2024, at the college campus in Toongabbie, Western Sydney.

From its earliest days, Christianity has had a cosmopolitan spirit. Christ Himself was born into a Hellenised Kingdom of Judaea, at that time under the yoke of the Caesars. Assisted by the congregations of the Jewish Diaspora, the Word quickly took root around the Near East and Mediterranean, bringing Christians in contact with innumerable gods, languages, and traditions of thought. The Lord spoke to these cultures, and they responded, each with their own instinctive modes of worship and something to offer the emerging Christian civilisation. The world of Alexander, Cicero and Augustus did not die with the conversion of Constantine but was gradually reorganised in the image of Christ. This amalgamation of the Christian and pre-Christian abounds in Late Antiquity and has been with us ever since – in our languages, literature, images, music, architecture, and institutions.

This event is open to academics, tertiary students, and the wider community, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the multicultural and multi-traditional character of Early Christianity and its enduring influence.

View the full schedule include speaker abstracts and bios at www.campion.edu.au/event/early-christianity-symposium/