Manlio Simonetti tra passato e futuro: l’eredità del metodo storico-critico per la cristianistica odierna

The essay aims to provide an at least partial overview of Manlio Simonetti’s multi- ple fields of research, starting with a discussion of the contributions in the volume dedicated to him I primi secoli cristiani: il ruolo della filologia e della storia. In memoria di Manlio Simonetti (Roma, 21-22 ottobre 2021) (“Atti dei Convegni lincei”, 346), Roma, Bardi, 2022. The papers in this volume deal with various aspects of Simonetti’s countless interests, offering a multifaceted, articulate and complex picture of him, unravelling between philology, litera- ture and history. The scholar’s prismatic personality thus becomes a litmus test to put on the table the most relevant historiographical issues in the current panorama of studies on ancient Christianity and to graft onto future perspectives, including methodological considerations, thematic analyses, and impact on the scientific panorama.