Melania

"The decision to zero in on the two Melanias produces obvious benefits: the interlocking papers build to a sort of ‘thick description’ of late fourth- and early fifth-century Christianity, and recent analytical approaches to its study . . . this book would make an excellent companion for a special subject or graduate course on asceticism in late antiquity. "

— Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Diversity of thought is the chief value in this collection. From spacial syntax to gender theory, this collection provides examples of new methods of research that emerged after 'The Lady Vanishes.' . . . This book [is] suitable for advanced graduate students and specialists in Late Antiquity and Christianity, particularly those which focus on sexuality and gender."

— Classical Journal

"Readers can be grateful to the editors and authors who have produced a wide-ranging contribution to the 'Melania revival.' "

— Anglican and Episcopal History

"Although one does not expect that a volume of essays will necessarily be coherent, this collection succeeds, and is both a richly varied scholarly study and a pedagogical aid to rethinking what a cultural biography might be."

— Journal of Ecclesiastical History