I received this call for papers and thought I should pass it on, since I now there are blog readers who will be interested in it:
We are pleased to announce the Conference on Religious and Philosophical Conversion in Ancient Mediterranean Traditions (CoRPC), which will take place at the University of Bonn from 25 to 27 of September 2018 (https://www.etf.uni-bonn.de/de/ev-theol/institute/corpc/startseite).
Steering Committee
Kelley Coblentz Bautch (St. Edward’s University in Austin)
Athanasios Despotis (Universität Bonn)
Edith M. Humphrey (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary)
Hermut Löhr (Universität Bonn)
Rationale: Research on the experience of religious conversion or spiritual transformation is necessarily interdisciplinary and interest in this field grows progressively. In light of this important and burgeoning area of study, CoRPC explores conversion or converting experience in the environment of the ancient Hellenistic world(s) with attention to early Judaism and early Christianity/the New Testament. Presentations will undertake both historical and philological reconstructions relying on source material and utilising interdisciplinary approaches. Similarly, discussions take up the literary use of the motif of conversion, the topic of philosophical conversion as well as ritual, social and embodied aspects of spiritual transformation.
CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS (in alphabetical order)
- Pierre-Yves Brandt, Lausanne
- Natacha Bustos, Rosario
- Stephen Chester, Chicago
- Athanasios Despotis, Bonn
- Edith M. Humphrey, Pittsburgh
- Miguel Herrero de Jauregui, Madrid
- Rikard Roitto, Stockholm
We are accepting papers for the following main subjects of discussion:
- Theorising conversion and de-conversion
- “Turning” in the Hebrew Bible
- Conversion rhetorics in Hellenistic Judaism
- Spiritual transformation in the purview of the Qumran Communities
- Conversion in the New Testament and Christian Apocrypha
- Philosophical conversion
- Conversion and the pagan mysteries
- Early Christian reception of the New Testament texts
- Polemical and satirical approaches to religious and philosophical conversion
- Ecumenical readings
- CSR (Cognitive Science of Religion) approaches to conversion experience in the Jewish and Hellenistic world
Abstracts of no more than 300 words for 20-minute papers should be sent to corpc@ev-theol.uni-bonn.de by 30th January 2018. The abstracts will be revised by 15th of February.
We look forward to hearing from you and please do not hesitate to contact us at corpc@ev-theol.uni-bonn.de with any questions.
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