Informations
"Test Everything": Sceptic and Believer in Ancient Mediterranean Religions
A Jointly Sponsored Conference on "Insider Doubt" in Christianity and Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Veranstaltet vom Lehrstuhl für Alte Geschichte (Prof. Dr. Babett Edelmann-Singer) und dem Lehrstuhl für Exegese und Hermeneutik des Neuen Testaments (Prof. Dr. Tobias Nicklas)
Gef?rdert von der Regensburger Universit?tsstiftung Hans Vielberth und der Lucia und Dr. Otfried Eberz-Stiftung
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Is critical distance towards aspects of one’s own religious tradition a phenomenon of modern times? In this two-part conference, we will deal with different forms of ancient Religion and the question, to what extend scepticism and doubt concerning one’s own religious tradition played a role. The lectures and discussions will take up different questions: When “Insider Doubt” was present, what, specifically, was doubted? In which context was doubt acceptable? How was doubt expressed within a religious community? And what reactions did it provoke? Furthermore, the contributors will focus on the differences between “Insider Doubt” and sceptical attitudes of outsiders or opponents towards a certain religious tradition.
Emphasizing comparative perspectives, the conference spans a timescale from Classical Greece to the Roman Imperial period (5th century B. C. E. – 2nd century C. E.). As the conference includes the participation of representatives of various academic disciplines – ranging from multiple varieties of Early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Religious Studies as well as Ancient History – the organizers expect that an in-depth treatment of “Insider Doubt” will lead to new insights on the nature and function of both doubt and belief in the ancient Mediterranean religious context.