I was worried that I had come across as too harsh despite being very careful with my wording. The worrisome thing, as I said, is that it's really difficult to talk and even joke serenely about religion. An example comes to me: I agree with you that Theodoric was not a nice guy, but if, after you, everybody had chimed in pouring "rants" on him, I'd have been inspired to defend him just in the same way, and with no qualms. :D

Thanks for the comments about Amory's book. I hadn't made the connection because I read your book before starting his. He does look at a lot of "trees" in very interesting details, but it's true that I can't seem to grasp fully what he's aiming at. I find the interest about moustaches fascinating in a slightly weird way. Though, after studying the mosaics at Ravenna, I have to wonder whether facial hair was all that meaningful. One sees all kinds of styles with, so it seems, no particular ideological connotation. One apostle in the Arian Baptistery (I think) even sports a sideburns moustache which I used to associate to the 19th century. But it's a topic I'd have to examine more in depth - maybe it did have a meaning, like the youthful, beardless Christ possibly embodying his "imperfect" side according to the Arian credo.