From 10 to 12 June 2026, Dr Mario Resta participated in the National Conference of the Consulta Universitaria di Storia del Cristianesimo e delle Chiese (CUSCC), titled “Descrivere gli altri, descrivere sé stessi nella storia del cristianesimo”, held in Naples.
During the event, Dr Resta delivered an insightful presentation entitled Identità multiple dei cristiani tra Chiesa e teatro: il problema degli spettacoli coreutico-musicali nelle fonti latine di IV-V secolo (Multiple Identities of Christians between Church and Theatre: The Issue of Choreutic-Musical Performances in 4th- and 5th-Century Latin Sources).
His paper examined the engagement of Christians with choreutic-musical performances in the Latin West between the fourth and fifth centuries. Drawing upon Éric Rebillard’s concept of “multiple identities”, the research analysed mime and pantomime as performative practices that ecclesiastical discourse frequently condemned as idolatrous, immoral, and intrinsically “pagan”. Nevertheless, historical evidence suggests these spectacles continued to be widely enjoyed by Christian audiences, including members of the clergy.
Furthermore, the presentation highlighted how biblical arguments were occasionally employed to legitimise participation in dance, music, and theatrical events. This approach reveals a complex landscape of identities that, whilst deemed strictly incompatible by church authorities, were not necessarily experienced as contradictory by late antique Christians.
