C. Michael Chin

C. Michael Chin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of California, Davis, within the College of Letters and Science. His work bridges classical studies, religious thought, and interdisciplinary humanities, focusing on the intellectual and cultural life of late antiquity.

Education:

• Ph.D., Duke University, 2005
• M.A., Duke University, 2000
• M.St., Oxford University, 1996
• B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1995

Chin’s research explores how late ancient people imagined their world through scientific, artistic, literary, and religious frameworks. He is particularly interested in conceptions of the natural and the wondrous, performance and ritual, and premodern notions of gender, sexuality, and the body. His work also investigates how modern audiences can re-engage with these ancient imaginative experiences through literary composition, installation art, and object performance.

His recent publications reflect a deep engagement with intellectual history, religious transformation, and narrative forms in late antiquity. Themes across his articles and books include historical epistemology, asceticism, Christianization, and the sensory dimensions of ancient religious life.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards listed in the provided text.

Chin has taught a wide range of courses including Rome and the Ancient Mediterranean World, Late Antiquity, Race and Classical Antiquity, Christian Origins, and advanced Latin courses. He mentors students in interdisciplinary approaches to the classical past and has co-edited significant volumes that advance collaborative scholarship in late ancient studies.

He is affiliated with research in the humanities through his editorial and scholarly work, contributing to fields that connect literature, religion, and cultural history. His office is located in 413 Sproul Hall at UC Davis.