9. – 11. Oktober 2024.
The workshop focuses on the language used by ancient authors to portray divine interference in history. This endeavor necessitates an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach, aiming to examine Jewish, Christian, and Graeco-Roman literature within their distinct contexts while recognizing their place within a shared Mediterranean cultural milieu.
The analysis of this language is essential for studying the intersection between religious and philosophical traditions in early imperial times.
While this perspective primarily concerns lexical and semantic aspects, it cannot be neatly separated from exegetical and philosophical inquiries, such as the specific “philosophy (or: theology) of history” advocated or developed by particular authors or traditions.
- Is the course of history subject to the vicissitudes of fate?
- Is it constituted instead by a series of willfully predetermined processes?
- Or is it even perhaps the result of a divine agent who intervenes personally in history?
- Can we detect a difference, e.g., between the plural and the singular use of the term θεός?
Indeed, even a cursory analysis of the vocabulary reveals the intricate interplay of these issues. In summary, the workshop seeks to foster a comprehensive exploration of both the terminological and hermeneutical aspects of these intertwined inquiries.
In summary, the workshop seeks to foster a comprehensive exploration of the terms related to divine intervention in ancient times, taking also into account the hermeneutical aspects of the aforementioned intertwined questions.