Michelle Freeman

Michelle Freeman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at Southern Illinois University's College of Liberal Arts, with a joint appointment in History. Her expertise centers on the religious and cultural history of the late antique Mediterranean, spanning Greek-, Syriac-, Latin-, and Coptic-speaking contexts. Specializations include ancient Christianity (1st–7th centuries), ritual practices, martyr veneration, relics, homiletic traditions, and sensory/emotional dimensions of religious experience.

Her current research examines speeches of praise for Christian martyrs delivered on feast days across the Mediterranean and Near East. This project analyzes how such homilies fostered social cohesion in early Christian communities while reflecting localized devotional practices.