Workshop on Text, Ritual, and Magic
April 14-15, 2015
University of Helsinki
Organizers: The Centre of Excellence in Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions (CSTT), and the Centre of Excellence in Reason and Religious Recognition Research (RRR)
Description: This workshop focuses on the interface between texts and magical or ritual practices. As a starting point we wish to question and deconstruct the dichotomy between magic and religion. We are particularly interested in texts as material artefacts and their magical and ritual uses as well as practices described in texts. The presentations cover a variety of source materials and methodological approaches as the workshop brings together scholars working in different fields.
Tentative Program
Tuesday, April 14
Venue: Room 532 (Vuorikatu 3, 5th floor)
10.00–10.15 Words of Welcome
Outi Lehtipuu, Hanne von Weissenberg & Jutta Jokiranta
10.15–11.45 Reading texts in ritual and manuscript contexts: Recontextualizing 2 Baruch 72:1-73:2
Liv Ingeborg Lied – response: Martti Nissinen
11.45–12.00 Break (with coffee and fruit)
12.00–13.30 Magical survivals? Late antique bishops and local religious practices
Maijastina Kahlos – response: Anna-Liisa Tolonen
13.30–14.30 Light lunch
14.30–16.00 Miniature scripts and material: Physical features for classifying divinatory texts in the Judaean desert scrolls
Kipp Davis – response: Hanne von Weissenberg
16.00–16.15 Break (with coffee and fruit)
16.15–17.45 Mysteries and Torah in 4QInstruction
Benjamin Wold – response: Jeremy Penner
19.00 Reception (including food and drinks)
Wednesday, April 15
Venue: Faculty Room (Vuorikatu 3, 5th floor)
10.00–11.30 Concern for non-human animals, piety and sacrifice in Porphyry’s ethics of On abstinence
Miira Tuominen – response: Rikard Roitto
11.30–11.45 Break (with coffee and fruit)
11.45–13.15 “Now you see it, now you don’t”: The magic of the sotah ritual (Numbers 5) in comparative context
David Shepherd – response: Urmas Nõmmik
13.15–14.15 Light lunch
14.15–15.45 Biblical References in Syriac Amulets: Historiolae, identity markers or what?
Nils Hallvard Korsvoll – response: Petri Luomanen
15.45–16.00 Break (with coffee and fruit)
16.00–17.30 Ethiopian Magic Scrolls and Solomon the Magician.
Ewa Balicka-Witakowska – response: Outi Lehtipuu
19 Closing dinner
Additional day, Thursday April 16
Venue: Faculty Room (Vuorikatu 3, 5th floor)
10–12 Lecture/workshop: What is new philology? –Liv Ingeborg Lied
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16–18 Puukko Academy – Rikard Roitto
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If you are interested in participating, please contact outi.lehtipuu at helsinki.fi.