Workshop on Late Ancient Feminist Exegesis? The Life of Saint Helia

Wednesday, May 15, 2–4 pm at the Faculty Hall, Vuorikatu 3, 5th floor
Please preregister here by Wednesday, May 8

The Life of Saint Helia is a little-known late ancient Latin work that narrates 1) the dawning of a young girl’s ascetic inclinations, 2) her resistance to her mother’s insistence that she marry, and 3) her resulting trial before a judge in dialogue format, dominated by debates between Helia and her mother and Helia and the judge, regarding the relative merits of virginity and marriage. In this workshop, we will discuss the text, especially the ways in which biblical texts are used in its argumentation. The event is organized by the research project Lived Scriptures in Late Antiquity.

To prepare for the workshop, please read through (the English translation) of the Life of Helia (available in V. Burrus & M. Conti, eds. The Life of Saint Helia: Critical Edition, Translation, Introduction, and Commentary. Oxford University Press, 2013). All preregistered participants are provided with a copy of the text.

For further inquiries, please contact Outi Lehtipuu outi.lehtipuu@helsinki.fi