Zářící obrazy - Křesťanská mediální revoluce (4.–7. století) (2026)

This Czech-language book examines the Christianization of the Roman world between the fourth and seventh centuries, focusing on the role played by images, new materials, and religious rituals. The authors trace the spread of new visual media around the Mediterranean, particularly glass mosaics, polished marble, and compositions made from precious stones, and explore how their ability to reflect light transformed both Christian art and religious experience. Through the examples of two important centres of Late Antiquity, Rome and Ravenna, the book shows how image, light, architecture, and liturgy combined into powerful wholes that engaged all the human senses. It discusses, among other subjects, the Neonian Baptistery in Ravenna and the Christian rite of initiation, as well as church interiors, their decoration, and the significance that precious materials and radiant images acquired in the Christian imagination. The book approaches the Christianization of the Roman Empire from the perspective of visual and material culture, showing how images and rituals could influence human perception, shape religious identity, and contribute to profound social change. It also offers a thought-provoking reflection on the power of images and media, which remains relevant in the contemporary world.