What
This is a three-day international workshop, which will take place at Aarhus University in affiliation with Aarhus University's Center for the Study of Antiquity and Christianity in the Department of Theology. The presenters will each present a case study from their research in which they examine how thinkers and communities, from Late Antiquity to the modern period, understood and made use of biblical and early Christian texts in their new contexts. We will reflect together, based on our various case studies, on how best to conduct such research given the challenges of working with ancient material as people of the twenty-first century. We will also dedicate significant time to discussing why our respective fields of theology, classics, and history are asking such questions today.
Why
This workshop is important because there is a lack of intentional discussion about how we approach the historical reception of the biblical and early Christian traditions. This we will do as a group of interdisciplinary and international scholars. This reflection will be done based on cutting edge work that is being conducted by early career scholars from some of the world's top research institutions. However, the voices of well-respected senior scholars will be part of the conversation. Furthermore, it is of no little importance that we are dealing with subject material that is being used by groups with right-wing and populist ideologies. We therefore will have the opportunity to reflect on why this is the case, and how responsible historical scholars might offer alternative narratives.
How
This research is already underway as the various international contributors work independently on their own contributions to be presented in June. At the workshop itself, each of the presenters will have approximately an hour devoted to their research. They will present a summary, receive detailed feedback from an already selected respondent (a senior scholar in the field), and then there will be a subsequent discussion of the work with the entire group of researchers. Key insights from the workshop will be drawn together by a selected senior reception history scholar to conclude the workshop. Participants will then have 3-4 months to rework and edit their contributions based on our discussions and the feedback they received at the workshop. The essays will then be collected and published.
SSR
Given that each of the presenters in the workshop is well-trained in working carefully with ancient sources and the contemporary scholarly literature about the ancient texts, we are in a position to think about the ways in which the biblical and early Christian sources have been received historically and at present. In addition to presenting case studies from our current research projects, each participant will also reflect on why we are interested in questions of the reception of the early Christian heritage today. This workshop therefore promotes serious reflection on the contemporary significance of the early Christian heritage, a heritage that is currently misused by right-wing and populist groups around the world. We will produce nuanced, historically-sensitive Open Access results.