ABSTRACT
This concluding chapter reflects on the contributions in this volume, outlining several strengths, some weaknesses, and ideas for future scholarly examination. Drawing upon Herbert C. Youtie’s reflections in the 1960s, I argue that papyrologists are fully aware of the constructedness of their reconstructions, therefore including reflections on modern interpretive schemes and classificatory interpretations to the basic actions that render ancient papyrological texts intelligible. Since the aim of the volume is to rethink current approaches to religious group identities and to incorporate more social-scientific insights into the study of late antique papyri, I evaluate how the contributions discuss questions related to religious groups (and “groupism”), situations, the absence of religious markers, and instances of multiple identities. Some concluding and comparative thoughts on the nature of Islamic papyri are added to broaden the scope of our analysis and to identify opportunities for further study.
