Research Seminar in Late Ancient and Byzantine Cultures

The Newman Institute Research Seminar in Late Ancient and Byzantine Cultures*

See schedule for the seminars

Human culture is never solely fact, nor solely fiction, but includes whatever the human mind and spirit produce, including texts, images, liturgies, manuscripts and material culture. A critical analysis and contextualization of late ancient and medieval arts and literatures should underpin our understanding of the history of Christian traditions, and can provide apt connections to our experience of the present world. Inter-cultural perspectives are encouraged, demonstrating exchanges between classical and biblical worlds, as well as encounters among different faiths in the first millennium.

The Newman Seminar in Late Ancient and Byzantine Cultures aims to create a forum for open discussion about Christian history and cultures by providing an opportunity for informal peer review of articles in preparation, book and thesis chapters, project proposals and conference papers on any topic pertaining to this field, broadly defined. Expertise of core members includes Greek and Latin languages, biblical and patristic studies, ancient philosophy, early church history, art history, palaeography, and Byzantine/Medieval studies. The seminar has a collaboration with the New Testament Studies research seminar at Uppsala University and with the Lund Patristic Seminar. We also welcome the possibility of organizing joint conferences.

The seminar convenes on Wednesdays 4:00-5:30 PM CET (Swedish time) via Zoom.

Papers can be circulated confidentially one week in advance in order to permit a thorough discussion concerning contents, analysis, and formal presentation of the materials. Collegiality and support across traditional subject boundaries are priorities.

To present a paper during the academic year 2021/22, for participation or for any questions concerning the seminar, please contact the chair, Barbara Crostini.

Autumn 2021

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89171490250?pwd=Q3Q4RHR1ckFrZDZYckxVVCt2ZDRpZz09

Meeting ID: 891 7149 0250 Passcode: 609731

Schedule as pdf

September 8

Manu Radhakrishnan (Vienna), "Unfit for the Laity? Domenico Cavalca's Vernacular Lives of the Desert Mother Eupraxia."

September 22                  

James Cogbill (Oxford), Evergetis and Cistercians

October 6

Francesco Monticini (Venice), Synesius and Evagrius

November 17

Ángel Narro (Valencia), Saint Thekla

November 24                

Caroline Macé (Göttingen and Hamburg), Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila

December 1

Crostini (Uppsala) and Dumitrescu (CEU) on the Widow of Sarepta

This will be a joint presentation by Barbara Crostini and Andrei Dumitrescu on Byzantine interpretations of the Widow of Sarepta, beginning from a fresco in the synagogue at Dura Europos and ending with some late medieval examples from Montenegro (13th cent.) and Moldavia (15th cent.).

There is no material for the seminar, as the paper will be a presentation at the Madrid Byzantine Conference in January and this is a first attempt at gathering the material together. Many beautiful and unpublished images will be shown!