Ethiopic Bible and Literature
Program Unit Type: Section
Accepting Papers? Yes
Call For Papers: We plan three sessions:
The THEOT (Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament) project has analysed large sets of 14th-20th century Ethiopic manuscripts for books, including Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, 1-4 Kings, Esther, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Malachi, and the Biblical Canticles. A picture of textual families and distinctive readings has developed, and now the project seeks to examine the interaction between the Ethiopic tradition and its predominantly Greek vorlage. We welcome proposals particularly those exploring connections with the LXX tradition, for a joint session with the Greek Bible Program Unit.
A second session on ‘Canon and Canonicity’, is in partnership with the Biblical Exegesis from Eastern Orthodox Perspectives consultation. Research on the canon has frequently focused on the origins of the canon and the causes that drove its creation, as well as the relative importance of canonical lists, actual codices, and the citations/ascription practices of interpreters. This session seeks to broaden and deepen this research by examining both the contents of canons and the meaning of canonicity in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. We invite papers that examine issues of the canon outside of the Christian West. We are interested in papers that assess how local political, theological and cultural factors may have shaped the delineation and reception of a canon, as well as the meaning of “canonical” status.
Finally, an open session will cover ideology, sociology and literary formation in the Ethiopic Tradition, which bears marks of originality and external influence. Influences come from Christian traditions, such as Greek, Syriac, and Armenian, but also from Jews and Muslims in the Horn of Africa, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopian theologians and community leaders developed their own sense of identity and expressed these in their form of literature. Proposals on any aspect are welcomed.
Program Unit Chairs
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