Social History of Formative Christianity and Judaism

Call For Papers: For 2012 we are planning four sessions for which we seek proposals on the following topics: 1.) New insights into the social formation of Judaism and/or Christianity from papyrology. We are particularly interested in proposals that address issues of social formation and practice such as economic resources, power negotiation, authority structures, education etc., rather than philological concerns. 2.) Domestic rituals. We especially invite proposals that explore evidence for material practices such as blessing of food, washing of objects/persons, negotiation of thresholds/limens, recitation of prayers, the use of amulets and domestic shrines, preparation of the dead, and the like. 3.) Rabbinic spatial practice and thought. We welcome proposals that engage tannaitic and amoraic texts in their wider social contexts through the lenses of space, place, and material environment. 4.) Inventing conversion in antiquity (Co-sponsored with Religious Worlds of Late Antiquity - please submit your single proposal to both Sections). We are most interested in proposals whose close reading of ancient evidence complicates and problematizes current scholarly, theoretical models of conversion embedded in religious studies.  As always, this Section also welcomes proposals that address any topic pertinent to the social history of formative Christianity and Judaism.

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