Organizer: Eve-Marie Becker

The seminar is part of the programme for the NT research unit in spring 2017 and it will provide a network for studying literary history, which is one of the research fields in our area. The framework is interdisciplinary and relevant to the fields of Hellenistic Judaism, Early Christianity, Classics and (ancient) literary studies.

The topic/research quest is: How are imitation and classicism used and developed as literary and rhetorical tools in literary and religious texts in the Hellenistic-Roman period? 

For discussion are:

• The concept of a ‘literary canon’ that is defined, both as a distinct body of authorial writings (in the works of Hellenistic-Roman authors) and as a corpus of authoritative texts, which Hellenistic authors (Jewish, pagan, and Christian) refer to in terms of scriptural reference.
• The stylistic feature of ‘archaism’ in the Hellenistic period, where authors deliberately employed Atticism and archaic language to underscore their competence and authority.
• The literary element/technique of ‘imitation’ of classical ideals and literary concepts in Hellenistic writings, as well as in Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity.

 Senior scholars presenting papers are:

·       Dr. Eve-Marie Becker (Professor, New Testament at Aarhus University)

·       Dr. Susan E. Hylen (Assoc. Professor, New Testament at Emory University)

·       Dr. George Hinge (Lecturer, Classics at Aarhus University)

·       Dr. Sylvie Honigman (Professor, Ancient history at Tel Aviv University)

·       Dr. Casper C. de Jonge (Lecturer, Classics at Leiden University)

·       Dr. Nicolas Wiater (Lecturer, Classics at St. Andrews University)

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