International conference: Patristic Sermons in the Middle Ages: Collections, Mediators and the Practice of Compiling
- Date
- Tuesday 17 October 2023 - Friday 20 October 2023
- Address
- Dutch Royal Institute (KNIR)
Via Omero 12
Rome
The sermons preached by the Latin Church Fathers – Augustine, Leo, Gregory, and their contemporaries – had a dynamic afterlife. Throughout the medieval period, they were widely copied, manipulated, and (re)organised in a wide array of manuscripts. This conference aims to give due attention to the mediators in the transmission of patristic sermons in the middle ages: the often-inconspicuous compilers and scribes whose creative intellectual activities formed crucial conduits for the transmission of late-antique sermons to new audiences. When, why and how were patristic sermons combined, (re)organised, and adapted to their medieval contexts?
To understand the compiler’s work, we need insights into both the philological aspects of sermons and sermon collections – their texts, sources and organisation – and the compilers’ and manuscripts’ historical context. As such, the conference aims to bring together philological, historical, theological, and literary perspectives. Confirmed speakers include: Emanuela Colombi, Max Diesenberger, François Dolbeau, Philip Forness, Moshe Lavee, Rosamond McKitterick, Carolyn Muessig, Annette Von Stockhausen, and Clemens Weidmann. In addition, the organisers aim to find room in the conference programme for an excursion (e.g. to the Special Collections department of a library).
Organisers
ERC-funded project PASSIM: Patristic Sermons in the Middle Ages (Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen).
Organising committee: Dr. Shari Boodts (PI, Radboud University Nijmegen); Dr. Riccardo Macchioro (Università degli Studi di Milano); Dr. Gleb Schmidt (Radboud University Nijmegen); Iris Denis MA (Radboud University Nijmegen); Elisa Furlan MA (Università degli Studi di Padova).
Student participation
It is possible for research master students and PhD’s (circa 5) to participate in this conference in Rome, and to obtain 2 ECTS for active participation. An additional 1 ECTS can be obtained by writing a reflective essay (1500 words), in which the main results and insights of the conference are discussed. Reports of (very) high quality can be considered for publication as conference report, under guidance of the organisers.
Participation in the conference includes coffee/tea breaks, lunches, and one conference dinner. Travel- and accommodation costs up to 500 euro per student can be reimbursed, with a potential extra reimbursement offered in consultation with the organisers.
Interested ReMa-students and PhD’s are encouraged to send a brief introduction and motivation (max. 150 words) to ozsmed@hum.leidenuniv.nl before 25 August 2023. They will be informed about their potential participation shortly after that date.