Conference: Transformations of Gender in Early Christianity; Theoretical and Material Approaches

Joint Conference with the Nordic PhD Network for the Study of Early Christianity in Greco-Roman Context and CAS project Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Taxonomies and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity: TRANSFORMATIONS OF GENDER IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY; THEORETICAL AND MATERIAL APPROACHES.

The conference took place at the Academy of Science and Letters and focused on theoretical and thematic discussions of gender in the study of Early Christianity. Special emphasis was put on the new theoretical approach within history, “the linguistic turn,” represented by the work of Professor Elizabeth A. Clark, Duke University. Professor Clark has authored or co-authored eleven books. Ascetic Piety and. Women’s Faith: Essays on Late Ancient Christianity, won the 1986 Adele Mellen prize for distinguished contributions to scholarship. Dr. Clark has been President of the American Academy of Religion, of the American Society of Church History, and of the North American Patristic Society. Other relevant books and articles: Reading Renunciation: Asceticism and Scripture in Early Christianity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999. (420 pp.); “Women, Gender, and the Study of Christian History.” Church History 70 (2001): 395-426

The following papers were read:

  • Elizabeth A. Clark, Duke University: Late Ancient Christian texts in light of “the Linguistic Turn.”
  • Jorunn Økland, University of Sheffi eld /CAS, “Noises from the Margin: What are Feminist Studies of Early Christianity for?”
  • Halvor Moxnes, University of Oslo,”Manly Eunuchs? Contradictions and gender ambiguity in Early Christianity”
  • Turid Karlsen Seim, University of Oslo/CAS, “The Mystery of the Two Becoming One Flesh. Readings of Gen 2.24 in the New Testament and Beyond.
  • Antti Marjanen, Helsinki University/CAS Male Women Martyrs: the function of gender transformation language in Early Christian Martyrdom Accounts.”

Short presentations and discussions of PhD students’ projects:

  • Sissel Undheim, Bergen
  • Rosie Ratcliffe, London
  • Marianne Bjelland Kartzow, Oslo
  • Rebecca Solevåg, Oslo
  • Rikard Roitto, Linköping
  • Andreas Westergren, Lund
  • Carmen Cvetkovic, Durham
  • Peder Solberg, Bergen
  • Carmen Cvetkovic (St.Andrews/ Aarhus),
  • Kirsten Hartvigsen (no paper) (UiO)
  • Lars Erik Rikheim (UiO)
  • Thorsten Rørbæk. (Aarhus)
  • Lene Tegllund (Aarhus)

Further participants From the CAS project group

  • Outi Lehtipouu, Helsinki/CAS
  • Liv Ingeborg Lied, UiB/CAS
  • Hugo Lundhaug, UiO/CAS
  • Troels Engberg-Pedersen, Copenhagen/CAS
  • Einar Thomassen, UiB/CAS