To understand changes in sacred texts, it is necessary to understand changes in the cultures that produced them. The 9th Melammu Symposium, which will be held in Helsinki and Tartu on May 18-24, 2015, will be an exciting opportunity for all interested scholars to get a close look on the latest developments on the themes of continuity, transformation, and diffusion in the Near East and surrounding areas. Continue reading Melammu Symposium 9: “Conceptualizing Past, Present and Future”
Category Archives: Events
Call for Papers: Ancient Jewish Cosmology-workshop (Jerusalem, June 15-16)
CSTT Workshop: Ancient Jewish Cosmology – Sacred Time and Order
École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, June 15‒16, 2015
CSTT’s Team 4 “Society and Religion in Late Second Temple Judaism” is organising a workshop on Ancient Jewish Cosmology. Cosmology is here broadly understood to deal with the cosmic world order and origin, but also matters related to acknowledging, finding out, and living out this cosmic order in everyday life. The aim is to identify forms and mechanisms of change in the notions and practices relating to Jewish cosmology: the origin, nature, and fate of the universe. Also ritual practices can be related to this theme: e.g., which beliefs are transmitted through ritual practices, prayer and divination; how the understanding of the divine is reflected in the earthly sphere (architecture, collective practices, calendar, correct prayer times, etc.). Cosmology plays a role in the way in which societies structure themselves and communities select and cherish their values and moral systems. Of special interest is the influence of Hellenistic philosophy and practices on Jewish thought. Continue reading Call for Papers: Ancient Jewish Cosmology-workshop (Jerusalem, June 15-16)
Workshop on Text, Ritual and Magic (Helsinki, April 14-15)
The 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. Continue reading Workshop on Text, Ritual and Magic (Helsinki, April 14-15)
Research seminar on Cognitive Science of Religion (Helsinki, March 3-4)
Trends and Challenges in the Cognitive Science of Religion
University of Helsinki, March 3-4, 2015
Venue: (note: room has changed) Faculty Room Room 531, Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki (Vuorikatu 3, 5th floor)
Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) emerged in the 1990s to explain regularities of religious phenomena across time and place by using the growing body of knowledge from cognitive and evolutionary sciences. Today it is a pluralistic and interdisciplinary field that focuses on the intuitive mental mechanisms underpinning religious beliefs and behaviours as well as on the interaction of the human mind, social cognition, and cultural environment. CSR applies a wide variety of different theoretical perspectives, for example, from experimental psychology, neurosciences, biology and research on emotions. Continue reading Research seminar on Cognitive Science of Religion (Helsinki, March 3-4)
One-day conference on “Power, Authority & Canon” in Edinburgh
We just received news of a highly interesting one-day conference, titled “Power, Authority & Canon“, that will be held at the University of Edinburgh on May 6, 2015. The conference is organized by Prof. Timothy Lim who recently published a book closely related to the topic of this conference (‘The Formation of the Jewish Canon‘). Continue reading One-day conference on “Power, Authority & Canon” in Edinburgh
Huippuyksikön tutkijoita luennoi Eksegeettisessä päivässä
Eksegeettinen päivä järjestetään torstaina 5.2.2015 Tieteiden talolla (Kirkkokatu 6). Tänä vuonna päivän teema on Raamattu ja Magia. Aamupäivän ohjelma (klo 10.15–11.50) on englanninkielistä, iltapäivällä taas kuullaan suomenkielisiä luentoja (13.10–16.40). Luennot ovat kaikille avoimia. Continue reading Huippuyksikön tutkijoita luennoi Eksegeettisessä päivässä
Call for Papers: “The Dead Sea Scrolls” (Cordoba, July 2015)
For those that would like to present a paper on the Dead Sea Scrolls this summer in Europe, consider the EABS Annual Meeting in Cordoba, Spain, July 12-15th! Continue reading Call for Papers: “The Dead Sea Scrolls” (Cordoba, July 2015)
Call for Papers: “Judaeans in the Persian Empire” (Cordoba, July 2015)
by Jason Silverman
At the 2015 European Association of Biblical Studies conference in Cordoba, Spain (12–15 July, 2015), I’ll be co-chairing a new research group with Caroline Waerzeggers and Anne-Mareike Wetter (both Leiden University), called “Judaeans in the Persian Empire“. Continue reading Call for Papers: “Judaeans in the Persian Empire” (Cordoba, July 2015)
Annual Symposium of the Finnish Exegetical Society / Eksegeettinen päivä (Helsinki, February 5, 2015)
The Annual Symposium of the Finnish Exegetical Society (Eksegeettinen päivä) will be held on Thursday February 5, 2015, from 10.15 to 16.30. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Bible and Magic” (“Raamattu ja magia“) and will be held at Tieteiden talo (Kirkkokatu 6) in Helsinki. The first two lectures are in English, the rest of them are in Finnish. The symposium is free and open to everyone! Continue reading Annual Symposium of the Finnish Exegetical Society / Eksegeettinen päivä (Helsinki, February 5, 2015)
A.F. Puukko Academy: ‘Jewish Platonism in Alexandria’ (22.1. 2015)
This Thursday January 22, 2015, at 16.00h, the second Puukko Academy of the academic year 2014-15 will be held at the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki (Vuorikatu 3, 5th floor, Faculty room).
The lecture is given by Dr. Sami Yli-Karjanmaa and is titled ‘Jewish Platonism in Alexandria: Philo and His Eschatology‘. Continue reading A.F. Puukko Academy: ‘Jewish Platonism in Alexandria’ (22.1. 2015)