Religious statecraft: Narratives of persecution and diplomacy in the case of Byzantine, Aksum and Himyar

Byzantine diplomatic correspondence reveals that Aksum's religious policy on the Arabian Peninsula was intricately linked to the Constantinian religio-political matrix, positioning Byzantine Rome as a key arbiter of early Christianity. Analysis of letters from Constantine and Constantius decodes Aksum as an active participant in 4th-century CE Christian dynamics, characterized by narratives of orthodoxy and persecution. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between diplomacy and religious statecraft during this period, offering new insights into the political and theological landscape of late antiquity.

Rukuni, R. (2020). Religious statecraft: Narratives of persecution and diplomacy in the case of Byzantine, Aksum and Himyar. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 76(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i1.5908