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Articles by Nils H Korsvoll
Journal of the Jesus Movement in its Jewish Setting, 2019
Available in full at http://www.jjmjs.org/issues.html (open access)
The 13 th century Syriac lectionary manuscript British Library Additional 14,686 contain... more The 13
th
century Syriac lectionary manuscript British Library
Additional 14,686 contains lections from the Old Testament,
Catholic Epistles and Acts for Sundays and feast days of the church
year. The present article provides a brief presentation of this
manuscript, a full list of its prescribed lections, as well as
transcriptions and translations of and annotations to the colophon
and notes found on the last folios.
We examine the mention of Enoch and Baruch in BnF Syr 400/3, a Syriac leather amulet from the 7th... more We examine the mention of Enoch and Baruch in BnF Syr 400/3, a Syriac leather amulet from the 7th century
Praxeologie. Beiträge zur interdisziplinären Reichweite praxistheoretischer Ansätze in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften, 2014
Presented at the December 2011 workshop "Praxeologie. Praxistheorien als Konzepte interdisziplinä... more Presented at the December 2011 workshop "Praxeologie. Praxistheorien als Konzepte interdisziplinären Forschens" at Heidelberg University, this paper attempts to operationalise Andreas Reckwitz' call for a praxeological approach to cultural studies for historical studies, by using the concept material anchors developed by cognitive anthropologist Edwin Hutchins.
Teologisk Tidsskrift, 2012
I 2001 godkjende Vatikanet at kaldeiske kristne, som er del av den romersk-katolske nattverdsfell... more I 2001 godkjende Vatikanet at kaldeiske kristne, som er del av den romersk-katolske nattverdsfellesskapen, kan ta imot nattverden i gudstenester der Nattverdsliturgien til Addai og Mari (AM), ei nattverdsbøn utan innstiftingsorda, blir brukt. Ei nattverdsbøn utan innstiftingsorda utfordrar den tradisjonelle forståinga av nattverdsriten. Eg presenterer her den første omsetjinga av den syriske nattverdsbøna AM til norsk, samt ei innføring i debatten rundt innstiftingsorda. Som ei av dei eldste nattverdsbønene me kjenner er AM ei viktig kjelde for tidleg nattverdspraksis. Det er samstundes stor usemje om ho alltid har vore utan innstiftingsorda, likesom det er usemje rundt rolla til innstiftingsorda i tidleg nattverdsliturgi generelt. Dei fleste forskarar no meiner nattverdsfeiringa dei første hundreåra hadde forskjellige former, og då i fleire høve var utan innstiftingsorda, men kjeldematerialet er diverre for tynt til å seie noko sikkert.
Chapters by Nils H Korsvoll
An introduction to the use of biblical text and references in amulets from the Mediterranean area... more An introduction to the use of biblical text and references in amulets from the Mediterranean area in Late Antiquity
Conference Presentations by Nils H Korsvoll
I explore whether there are any parallels between the adjurations and exorcist spells found in th... more I explore whether there are any parallels between the adjurations and exorcist spells found in the Syriac amulets and early Syriac baptismal exorcism formulae. Sebastian Brock has already suggested this, and Theodore de Bruyn has shown how there are such parallels between amulets and early baptismal exorcisms in Greek. Comparing the ritual structure and technical vocabulary in Syriac amulets with that used in Syriac baptismal exorcisms, I examine whether we here can see parallels similar to those in the Greek, thereby suggesting some connection between the amulets and Syriac Christianity.
Relying as much on liturgical commentaries, as on liturgical documents themselves, to study early Syriac baptismal liturgy, establishing direct parallels in ritual structure and technical language is not as straightforward as I had hoped. Still, certain parallel patterns appear across the two corpora, in both language and structure. However, these parallels are too general to place the two genres of ritual texts in direct relation to each other.
M.Phil Thesis by Nils H Korsvoll
University of Oslo, 2011
Late Antiquity was a time of vibrant and eclectic ritual practices, as well as witnessing Christi... more Late Antiquity was a time of vibrant and eclectic ritual practices, as well as witnessing Christianity’s rise from minority to majority religion. P.Oslo. I V is an apotropaic papyrus from fourth- or fifth century Egypt, containing both traditional ritual elements, like voces magicae and vowel-strings, as well as distinctly Christian phrases and a doxology. Hence, I have chosen to explore P.Oslo. I V as a case study, examining not only ritual practice in Late Antiquity but also how early Christianity interacted with this. The historical study of ritual practice, whether conceived as ‘magic’ or religion, is fraught with methodological challenges. For my thesis, I have chosen to proceed using the recent contributions to religious studies from cognitive theory. Cognitive approaches are being used in more and more fields, also within the study of religion, and for my analysis of P.Oslo. I V I apply two major contributions to ritual theory: Thomas Lawson and Robert McCauley’s theory on ritual structure and Jesper Sørensen’s analysis of ritual building on Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner’s ‘blending theory.’ Having first given a thorough presentation of P.Oslo. I V, I proceed to employ these two cognitive ritual theories. My analysis first shows that the Christian and the more traditional ritual elements in the ritual text belong to two separate performative, or ritual, utterances. I then establish how these two are structurally quite similar, while the Christian section still has some distinguishing traits that put it more in line with Christian teaching and worldview. Finally, combining both performative utterances in one blending model, I illustrate how P.Oslo. I V simultaneously follows traditional, pan-Mediterranean ritual practices and demonstrates a knowledge of and respect for Christian teachings. This last observation goes against several scholars studying religion in Late Antiquity, who hold that the appearance of Christian elements in ritual papyri reflects nothing more than opportunistic and indiscriminate hoarding of deities. Instead, I compare my results to the work of David Frankfurter and David Brakke, who argue for a ‘contextualised’ Christianity in Egypt in Late Antiquity. Referring to early monastic literature, they observe an emphasis on local concerns and practices, which then prompts a continuation, at least among some, of traditional ritual practices. My results support this observation, suggesting that P.Oslo. I V expresses a dynamic interaction between traditional and Christian concepts of ritual efficacy.
Workshops by Nils H Korsvoll
Workshop 10th-11th June 2015 MF Norwegian School of Theology Oslo
Papers by Nils H Korsvoll
Biblical quotations are commonly considered a hallmark of Jewish and Christian amulets in Late An... more Biblical quotations are commonly considered a hallmark of Jewish and Christian amulets in Late Antiquity. In this article, however, I summarise the indices of several publications to show that while biblical quotations are certainly present, they cluster together in some of the amulets (approx. 25%) rather than being spread evenly across the corpus. In the end I discuss if this means that different amulets within the corpora belonged to different contexts.
This article demonstrates the use of Eph. 6:10-17 on a Syriac incantation bowl (IBC 3), thereby c... more This article demonstrates the use of Eph. 6:10-17 on a Syriac incantation bowl (IBC 3), thereby challenging the commonly held opinion that there are no direct uses of the New Testament among the Syriac bowls. We then situate the use of this biblical passage on IBC 3 within the context of biblical citation and reference in Mediterranean magic more generally. Finally, we briefly reflect on the significance of the usage of the Bible on IBC 3 for the study of Syriac incantation bowls and for the value of categories of religious identification, such as " Christian, " " Jewish, " and " Pagan, " as it pertains to the study of late antique apotropaic and curative practices.
Journal of the Jesus Movement in its Jewish Setting, 2019
Available in full at http://www.jjmjs.org/issues.html (open access)
The 13 th century Syriac lectionary manuscript British Library Additional 14,686 contain... more The 13
th
century Syriac lectionary manuscript British Library
Additional 14,686 contains lections from the Old Testament,
Catholic Epistles and Acts for Sundays and feast days of the church
year. The present article provides a brief presentation of this
manuscript, a full list of its prescribed lections, as well as
transcriptions and translations of and annotations to the colophon
and notes found on the last folios.
We examine the mention of Enoch and Baruch in BnF Syr 400/3, a Syriac leather amulet from the 7th... more We examine the mention of Enoch and Baruch in BnF Syr 400/3, a Syriac leather amulet from the 7th century
Praxeologie. Beiträge zur interdisziplinären Reichweite praxistheoretischer Ansätze in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften, 2014
Presented at the December 2011 workshop "Praxeologie. Praxistheorien als Konzepte interdisziplinä... more Presented at the December 2011 workshop "Praxeologie. Praxistheorien als Konzepte interdisziplinären Forschens" at Heidelberg University, this paper attempts to operationalise Andreas Reckwitz' call for a praxeological approach to cultural studies for historical studies, by using the concept material anchors developed by cognitive anthropologist Edwin Hutchins.
Teologisk Tidsskrift, 2012
I 2001 godkjende Vatikanet at kaldeiske kristne, som er del av den romersk-katolske nattverdsfell... more I 2001 godkjende Vatikanet at kaldeiske kristne, som er del av den romersk-katolske nattverdsfellesskapen, kan ta imot nattverden i gudstenester der Nattverdsliturgien til Addai og Mari (AM), ei nattverdsbøn utan innstiftingsorda, blir brukt. Ei nattverdsbøn utan innstiftingsorda utfordrar den tradisjonelle forståinga av nattverdsriten. Eg presenterer her den første omsetjinga av den syriske nattverdsbøna AM til norsk, samt ei innføring i debatten rundt innstiftingsorda. Som ei av dei eldste nattverdsbønene me kjenner er AM ei viktig kjelde for tidleg nattverdspraksis. Det er samstundes stor usemje om ho alltid har vore utan innstiftingsorda, likesom det er usemje rundt rolla til innstiftingsorda i tidleg nattverdsliturgi generelt. Dei fleste forskarar no meiner nattverdsfeiringa dei første hundreåra hadde forskjellige former, og då i fleire høve var utan innstiftingsorda, men kjeldematerialet er diverre for tynt til å seie noko sikkert.
An introduction to the use of biblical text and references in amulets from the Mediterranean area... more An introduction to the use of biblical text and references in amulets from the Mediterranean area in Late Antiquity
I explore whether there are any parallels between the adjurations and exorcist spells found in th... more I explore whether there are any parallels between the adjurations and exorcist spells found in the Syriac amulets and early Syriac baptismal exorcism formulae. Sebastian Brock has already suggested this, and Theodore de Bruyn has shown how there are such parallels between amulets and early baptismal exorcisms in Greek. Comparing the ritual structure and technical vocabulary in Syriac amulets with that used in Syriac baptismal exorcisms, I examine whether we here can see parallels similar to those in the Greek, thereby suggesting some connection between the amulets and Syriac Christianity.
Relying as much on liturgical commentaries, as on liturgical documents themselves, to study early Syriac baptismal liturgy, establishing direct parallels in ritual structure and technical language is not as straightforward as I had hoped. Still, certain parallel patterns appear across the two corpora, in both language and structure. However, these parallels are too general to place the two genres of ritual texts in direct relation to each other.
University of Oslo, 2011
Late Antiquity was a time of vibrant and eclectic ritual practices, as well as witnessing Christi... more Late Antiquity was a time of vibrant and eclectic ritual practices, as well as witnessing Christianity’s rise from minority to majority religion. P.Oslo. I V is an apotropaic papyrus from fourth- or fifth century Egypt, containing both traditional ritual elements, like voces magicae and vowel-strings, as well as distinctly Christian phrases and a doxology. Hence, I have chosen to explore P.Oslo. I V as a case study, examining not only ritual practice in Late Antiquity but also how early Christianity interacted with this. The historical study of ritual practice, whether conceived as ‘magic’ or religion, is fraught with methodological challenges. For my thesis, I have chosen to proceed using the recent contributions to religious studies from cognitive theory. Cognitive approaches are being used in more and more fields, also within the study of religion, and for my analysis of P.Oslo. I V I apply two major contributions to ritual theory: Thomas Lawson and Robert McCauley’s theory on ritual structure and Jesper Sørensen’s analysis of ritual building on Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner’s ‘blending theory.’ Having first given a thorough presentation of P.Oslo. I V, I proceed to employ these two cognitive ritual theories. My analysis first shows that the Christian and the more traditional ritual elements in the ritual text belong to two separate performative, or ritual, utterances. I then establish how these two are structurally quite similar, while the Christian section still has some distinguishing traits that put it more in line with Christian teaching and worldview. Finally, combining both performative utterances in one blending model, I illustrate how P.Oslo. I V simultaneously follows traditional, pan-Mediterranean ritual practices and demonstrates a knowledge of and respect for Christian teachings. This last observation goes against several scholars studying religion in Late Antiquity, who hold that the appearance of Christian elements in ritual papyri reflects nothing more than opportunistic and indiscriminate hoarding of deities. Instead, I compare my results to the work of David Frankfurter and David Brakke, who argue for a ‘contextualised’ Christianity in Egypt in Late Antiquity. Referring to early monastic literature, they observe an emphasis on local concerns and practices, which then prompts a continuation, at least among some, of traditional ritual practices. My results support this observation, suggesting that P.Oslo. I V expresses a dynamic interaction between traditional and Christian concepts of ritual efficacy.
Workshop 10th-11th June 2015 MF Norwegian School of Theology Oslo
Biblical quotations are commonly considered a hallmark of Jewish and Christian amulets in Late An... more Biblical quotations are commonly considered a hallmark of Jewish and Christian amulets in Late Antiquity. In this article, however, I summarise the indices of several publications to show that while biblical quotations are certainly present, they cluster together in some of the amulets (approx. 25%) rather than being spread evenly across the corpus. In the end I discuss if this means that different amulets within the corpora belonged to different contexts.
This article demonstrates the use of Eph. 6:10-17 on a Syriac incantation bowl (IBC 3), thereby c... more This article demonstrates the use of Eph. 6:10-17 on a Syriac incantation bowl (IBC 3), thereby challenging the commonly held opinion that there are no direct uses of the New Testament among the Syriac bowls. We then situate the use of this biblical passage on IBC 3 within the context of biblical citation and reference in Mediterranean magic more generally. Finally, we briefly reflect on the significance of the usage of the Bible on IBC 3 for the study of Syriac incantation bowls and for the value of categories of religious identification, such as " Christian, " " Jewish, " and " Pagan, " as it pertains to the study of late antique apotropaic and curative practices.