Penn State Penn State: College of the Liberal Arts

Department ofClassics and Ancient
Mediterranean Studies

Michael Beshay

Michael Beshay
Assistant Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
323 Weaver Building University Park, PA 16802
Pronouns: He/Him

Biography:

I am a scholar of religions of late antiquity who specializes in the history of early Christianity. My research centers on several interconnected topics, including the development of authoritative traditions; their transmission and reception in diverse artifacts and across confessional boundaries; the significance of ritual and "magic" for the production of novel religious idioms; and the legacies of so-called "heretical" Christians within the beliefs and practices that emerge as "Orthodox." I explore these dynamics relative to the ritual traditions surrounding the Virgin Mary and King Solomon--two prominent figures whose authorities span multiple religious communities and represent layers of cultural innovation and conflict.

Education Details:

Ph.D. in History, The Ohio State University (2020)
B.A. in Study of Religion, University of California, Los Angeles (2012)

Courses