Ethics of Dwelling : Early Christian Principles of the City Life and Urban Transformation

Abstract

The work (paper) focuses on a particular issue regarding ethics developing in early Christian time and its influence on the process of transformation of Roman urban life, habits, functions, and architectural practice in the late fifth century and after. Complexity of this issue derives from the fact that the early Christian monastic ideals, which had been rapidly developed in the first centuries of the new era, substantially influenced the formation of everyday living ethical principles. Consequently, these new principles changed existing dwelling habits, particularly in the field of public life, demanding a new form of behavior from the Christian citizens. This process also influenced the idealistic view on what the concept of a Christian city can be, and how the new form of ethical life reflects on new urban and architectural structures.