Kristi Upson-Saia

About the Author

Kristi Upson-Saia is a distinguished scholar and author specializing in the religious and cultural history of late antiquity. With a keen eye for the interplay between identity, materiality, and belief, she explores how everyday practices shaped ancient communities. Her groundbreaking work, Dressing Judeans and Christians in Antiquity, delves into the sartorial choices of early religious groups, revealing how clothing served as a powerful marker of affiliation and resistance in the Roman world. Drawing from a rich array of textual and archaeological sources, Upson-Saia's research bridges classical studies and religious studies, offering fresh insights into the embodied dimensions of faith. As a professor at California State University, Northridge, she continues to inspire students and colleagues with her rigorous yet accessible approach to antiquity's enduring legacies.