This book charts the origins, development and evolution of ‘Arianism’ and the ‘Arian’ churches from the fourth to the seventh centuries c.e. The term ‘Arianism’ is itself problematic, given that it was a polemical label attached to a particular theological position and its adherents (the ‘Arians’) by victorious ‘orthodox’ opponents in the Trinitarian controversies of the fourth century. Several chapters in the volume address this terminological issue in some detail (H. C. Brennecke's ‘Introduction’, K. Schäferdieck, U. Heil) and their varying choices reflect the fact that this continues to be a field of lively theological and historical debate. For the purposes of this review, the term ‘Arianism’ will be adopted throughout to reflect the fact that the term was a label devised and applied by outsiders and not one that the ‘Arians’ would have claimed for themselves (they, presumably, would have considered their position entirely orthodox).

Fifteen of the chapters are in English and one, by K. Schäferdieck, is in German (with a helpful short summary in English). Although the book is not divided into sections, there are two main clusters of chapters, which can be divided chronologically: on ‘Arianism’ in the fourth century (chs 1–7) and in the late fifth, sixth and seventh centuries (chs 10–15). Ch. 8, B. Wolfe on ‘Germanic Language and Germanic Homoianism’, takes a more linguistic approach, while ch. 9 by R. Bockmann examines what the archaeological evidence (or lack thereof) may be able to tell us about the ‘Arian’ churches of Carthage, Haïdra and Ravenna. The predominant approaches taken by the authors are theological and historical, although material culture is referred to in a number of papers and all of the chapters attempt to situate their analyses in concrete historical contexts; however interpretations — and especially use of basic terminology and analytical categories — vary across chapters. Such variation, as noted above, reflects the vibrancy of this field of study, especially in a volume that crosses the analytical boundary that has traditionally separated late Roman and barbarian ‘Arianism’.

Collectively, the chapters in the first part of the book offer a thorough overview of the fourth-century history of ‘Arianism’, beginning with theological-philosophical disputes in Alexandria — and soon elsewhere across a slowly Christianizing empire — in the early part of the fourth century (K. Schäferdieck and U. Heil). There is a specific focus on Germanic or barbarian Arianism, in particular on two of the most renowned barbarian ‘Arians’: Ulfilas, a Gothic bishop from the fourth century (K. Schäferdieck, S. Parvis and H. Wolfram), and Saba, a Gothic martyr from the same period (P. Parvis). Brennecke's chapter deconstructs the concept of ‘Germanic Arianism’ and that of R. Mathisen, one of the strongest in the volume, offers a comprehensive survey of the clergy, church organization and practices of the ‘barbarian Arians’. While the focus here is on the ‘Arianism’ of the barbarians in the fourth and fifth centuries, there is a consistent focus on their interactions with Roman imperial authorities and with churches within the Empire.

The final six chapters offer an overview of ‘Arianism’, or indeed the lack thereof in the case of Britain (M. Pérez Martínez) and Lombard Italy (P. Majocchi), in the post-Roman barbarian kingdoms of the West (G. M. Berndt and R. Steinacher on Ostrogothic Italy; R. Whelan on Africa; M. Koch on Visigothic Spain; U. Heil on Gaul). The chapters by Koch and Whelan are particularly impressive. Koch explores the organization of the ‘Arian’ church of the Visigoths in Spain in the sixth century, focusing in particular on the extent to which ethnic and religious identity overlapped in the period (i.e. were Visigoths predominantly ‘Arian’ and Hispano-Romans predominantly Catholic?). He demonstrates effectively that the borders of ‘Arianism’ and Catholicism were actually quite flexible and hence that religion was not always a key marker of ethnicity. Whelan's study begins by making the sensible point that ‘“Arianism” did not arrive on a boat in 429’ (239) with the arrival of the barbarian ‘Arian’ Vandals. The chapter begins by charting the pre-Vandal history of ‘Arianism’ in Africa, moving on to examine Vandal religious policy in Africa, which varied from persecution to (relative) tolerance, although noting that conflict was largely fought between ‘Arian’ and Nicene churches rather than between the Vandal state and the Nicene church. The final section that covers the discursive battle that seems to have been fought between the Nicene and ‘Arian’ churches in Africa, making particular use of the memories of earlier persecution, is especially interesting, although the surviving evidence is largely limited to the Nicene viewpoint.

Overall, this is a successful volume which succeeds in its stated aim of providing an informative and nuanced overview of the history of ‘Arianism’. The focus is on the ‘Arianism’ of the barbarians, although there is a consistent emphasis on its relations to the Roman church and state. The lack of consistency about terminology proves irritating at times but also serves to emphasize that ‘Arianism’ is a live field of scholarly debate for which the terms of reference have not yet been established. Hopefully this fascinating volume will stimulate further study.