Papyri and the Dynamics of Religious Identification: Introductory remarks (original) (raw)

Abstract

Introduction & theoretical framework for the conference "Late Antique Religion in Practice: Papyri and the Dynamics of Religious Identification" (see link to the program above), Leiden University, November 2017. Religious identification has sometimes been treated, in modern studies, as if it equaled coming out of the closet: an individual decision to reveal aspects of his or her most inner self-understanding in precarious situations. Alternatively, less tentative explanations have been given for religiously marked language, like the immersion of individuals and scribes in a shared in-group repertoire, or the impact of institutional behavioral norms. This paper aims to examine the various social situations that gave rise to religious identifications, as well as the potential of modern social scientific theory for the study of these processes in ancient papyri. Obviously there is an enormous range of social scientific studies which could potentially shed light on ancient religious identifications. By considering a few recent contributions, I will highlight some valuable approaches for understanding how multidimensional human beings drew upon religious repertoires when they needed to. In particular I would like to shift the focus away from the (linguistic) markers of religious identification to a different set of questions related to the events or situations in which they were deemed relevant.

Mattias Brand hasn't uploaded this talk.

Let Mattias know you want this talk to be uploaded.

Ask for this talk to be uploaded.