medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I am a newcomer on your site. I am researching a multopanel altarpeice from
about 1600. Among many problems one concerns the Magi and the star. One
pic shows them meeting under the star wearing phrygian caps. The star seems
to contain a cross. Anything on significance of stars etc would be welcome.
I am not au fait with astrology! Grace.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Kraft" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 12:14 AM
Subject: [M-R] PSCO in San Antonio
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Yes, it's a bit confusing. We have a PSCO meeting coming up this Thursday,
11
> November, here at UPenn -- Jodi Magness on zodiac floors -- then the very
next
> week, at the SBL/AAR conferences in San Antonio, the following program on
Friday
> night (please cross-post as appropriate):
>
> PHILADELPHIA SEMINAR ON CHRISTIAN ORIGINS
> in its 42nd year
> an Interdisciplinary Humanities Seminar
> under the auspices of the
> UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
> Department of Religious Studies
> 201 Logan Hall
> with support from
> the Penn Humanities Forum
>
> TOPIC FOR 2004-2005: The Impact of Astrological (and Related) Traditions
on Early
> Jewish and Christian Perspective
>
> While astrology today is relegated to dubious status in the back pages of
> newspapers, in the ancient world there was no question as to the impact of
the
> stars on human beings. The power gained through knowledge of astrology was
at times
> troubling and terrifying, but rarely, if ever, discounted. Astrological
ideas are
> reflected in all manner of Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian traditions,
from the
> vivid Jewish synagogue floor mosaics to the Star of Bethlehem and the
attendant
> arrival of the Magi to Paul's use of technical terminology drawn from
astrology and
> beyond. Given the widespread impact of astrology, then, it is surprising
that these
> traditions have received relatively little scholarly attention. It is our
hope to
> use this year of PSCO to generate an ongoing conversation involving
scholars of
> early Christianity, scholars of early Judaism, and other students of late
antiquity
> in an examination of the role of astrological traditions in the
Greco-Roman world,
> and especially in early Judaism and Christianity.
>
> Co-Chairs:
> Todd C. Krulak (University of Pennsylvania) [log in to unmask]
> Sarah L. Schwarz (Haverford College/University of Pennsylvania)
> [log in to unmask]
> Secretary:
> Harry Tolley (Univ of Pennsylvania) [log in to unmask]
>
> Webmaster:
> Jay C. Treat (University of Pennsylvania)[log in to unmask]
>
> THE THIRD MEETING OF THE 2004-05 YEAR WILL BE HELD on Friday 19 November,
in San
> Antonio just before the AAR/SBL annual meetings. We are scheduled for
Conference
> Room 8 in the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
(presumably
> we can stay later if we wish). There will be two brief presentations to
help spur
> discussion:
>
> James Davila (St.Andrews University),
> "Astrology and the Descenders to the Chariot."
>
> Participants might want to look at chapter 3 of my Descenders to the
Chariot: The
> People Behind the Hekhalot Literature (JSJSup 70; Leiden: Brill, 2001).
There is
> a precis of that chapter in the section "Becoming a Shaman" of my article
"The
> Hekhalot Literature and Shamanism," SBLSP 33 (1994), 767-89, also
available online
> at:
>
> http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_sd/hekhalot_shamanism_art.html
>
> Annette Yoshiko Reed (McMaster University),
> "Astrology in the Rhetoric of Jewish and Christian Chosenness"
>
> Some examples (Josephus and a couple of later sources such as Justin
Martyr and
> Talmud) of Jewish and Christian sources that use astrology as a foil for
describing
> through comparison/contrast what they see as true "religion" -- all the
more
> interesting a rhetorical twist, since astrology was widely practiced among
Jews and
> Christians no less than "pagans."
>
> If someone would like to organize a pre-seminar group meal, or would like
to be
> included in such, please let me know.
>
> Bob Kraft, coordinator
>
> --
> Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
> 227 Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
> [log in to unmask]
> http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
>
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