Jaclyn Maxwell

Jaclyn Maxwell is Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History at Ohio University’s College of Arts and Sciences, where she also serves as Department Chair. Her academic work centers on the religious and social dynamics of the later Roman Empire (4th–6th centuries CE), particularly the Christianization of the Mediterranean world and the evolving attitudes of educated elites toward ordinary people and apostolic values.

Her research interests include:

• Late Antique Christianity
• Social History of the Roman Empire
• Religious Transformation
• Christian Elites and Humility
• Apostolic Ideals in Late Antiquity
• Popular Religion and Theology

Maxwell’s publications, including two books with Cambridge University Press, explore how early Christian thought engaged with social status, simplicity, and communication. Her work frequently analyzes Greek Christian writers and sermons as sources for understanding lay experiences and elite self-perception during religious transition. She also contributes to major reference works in the field of Late Antiquity.

She has been awarded fellowships by:

• American Council of Learned Societies
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• Dumbarton Oaks

Maxwell is actively involved in teaching and public scholarship. She has taught courses on Ancient Greece, Rome, Western Civilization, and religious studies, emphasizing primary texts and historical context. She has led study-abroad programs to Rome and served as a study leader for Smithsonian Journeys in Turkey and the Greek islands, delivering lectures on history, archaeology, and religion. While no formal advisees are listed, her leadership in undergraduate education and research mentorship is evident through her role as Director of Undergraduate Studies and her fieldwork participation in archaeological excavations in Syria and Italy.

She is affiliated with archaeological projects and interdisciplinary teams focusing on ancient religious and social practices, integrating textual analysis with material culture.