The Journal of Ancient Christianity aims to publish original, international research from various disciplines of ancient Christianity and to bring these research topics into dialogue. Essays are welcome from patristics or patrology, history of antiquity and late antiquity, classical philology, (late) ancient history of philosophy, and archaeology, as are contributions on epigraphy, papyrology, manuscript studies, edition techniques, ancient legal history, etc. The journal also considers sources from the Christian Orient (Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopian, etc.) and offers space for short critical editions.

The journal is not restricted to a particular program in terms of content or methodology, but instead is open to new research initiatives. Thus, the journal does not impose a particular concept of "antiquity" or "late antiquity," although it does concentrate on the period from the 2nd to the 8th century. The focus is on ancient and late antique Christianity in its entire breadth, i.e., with its various religious practices, theories, concepts, and group formations, inasmuch as these represent integral aspects of (late) antique culture.

The journal is open to all those interested in ancient and late antique Christianity, regardless of origin, religion, denomination, language, gender, or status. It is committed to making source texts accessible in their original languages and therefore requires precise information on the critical editions used for all citations. A separate section with in-depth reviews is devoted to critical discussion of current research findings. Once a year, a thematic issue offers guest editors the opportunity to publish the results of smaller conferences or workshops.