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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