Nemzetközi konferencia:

The Reception of Violent Biblical Texts within and Beyond the Canon

Date: 26-28 June 2024

Venue: Cluj, Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology, Iuliu Maniu str. 5

Organisers

Eastern European Liaison Committee, Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas

Beyond Canon Centre for Advanced Studies (Regensburg)

Centre for Biblical Studies of the Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj)

Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology of the Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj)

Partner: Ukrainian Catholic University (Lviv)

Description

The event is aimed to promote scholarly dialogue between Ukrainian and other European and American biblical scholars and researchers working in related areas, to understand the questions raised by Ukrainian colleagues and their approaches to the topic in the present context, to facilitate Ukrainian professionals’ networking and access to scholarly networks in the West.

It welcomes biblical scholars, philologists and other researchers working on ancient Christian texts, on New Testament apocrypha, or scholars focusing on patristic reception, on the reception of the Bible in iconography and the liturgy.

Speakers

  1. Olimpiu Benea (Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj)
  2. Marianne Bjelland Kartzow (University of Oslo)
  3. Andreas Dettwiler (University of Geneva)
  4. Cyril Hovorun (Sankt Ignatios Theological Academy, Stockholm)
  5. Alexandru Ioniță (Lucian Blaga University, Sibiu)
  6. Christos Karakolis (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
  7. Bohdan Kuryliak (University of Zurich / Berrien Springs, MI)
  8. Ihor Kuryliak (University of Zurich / Chuy, Kyrgyzstan)
  9. Harry O. Maier (Vancouver School of Theology)
  10. Ivanna Movchanyuk (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  11. Tobias Nicklas (University of Regensburg /Beyond Canon/EELC)
  12. Roman Ostrovskyy (Kyiv Theological Seminary of the Three Holy Hierarchs)
  13. Cosmin Pricop (University of Bucharest, Faculty of Orthodox Theology)
  14. Clare Rothschild (Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, USA)
  15. Vasyl Rudeyko (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  16. Yuriy Shchurko (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  17. Serhii Smahlo (Friedrich Schiller University, Jena)
  18. Michael Sommer (University of Frankfurt)
  19. Halyna Teslyuk (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv) 
  20. Ekaterini Tsalampouni (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
  21. Dmytro Tsolin (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  22. Solomiya Tymo (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  23. Taras Tymo (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  24. Dariya Syroyid (Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv)
  25. Jan Willem van Henten (University of Amsterdam)

Program

June 25

Arrival. Accommodation at Hotel Universitas (Pandurilor 7)

Registration at the Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology

19.00     Dinner

June 26

15.00-15.20

Opening, welcome

(Márton Áron Room, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology)

Korinna Zamfir, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology, Babeș-Bolyai University

Olimpiu Benea, Director of the Centre for Biblical Studies

Introduction – Violent Biblical Texts and their Reception

15.30-16.00

Jan Willem van Henten: Violence in Biblical and Extra-Biblical Texts Revisited

16.00-16.30

Yuriy Shchurko: Reading the Violent and So-called Pacifist Texts in the Bible in the Proper Context

16.30-17.00

Discussion

17.00-17.30

Ivanna Movchanyuk: The Entry of Evil into Human History and its Spread According to Genesis 1–11

17.30-17.40

Discussion

17.50-19.45

Cultural walk in the old town

20.00

Dinner

June 27

Violent Texts in the Canon (I)

9.00-9.30

Halyna Teslyuk: Slaughter or Self-Defence: Reflecting on Jael’s Story in Ancient Texts and Present Ukraine

9.30-10.00

Dmytro Tsolin: The Genre of Qīnā: Some Important Observations on the Rhythmic and Syntactic Aspects of Versification, Based on the Material of the Book of Lamentations

10.00-10.30

Ihor Kuryliak and Bohdan Kuryliak: Daniel and Revelation: The Violence of the Four Winds and the Cosmic Conflict

10.30-11.00

Discussion

11.00-11.30

Coffee

11.30-12.00

Serhii Smahlo: Taking the Kingdom by Force. An Example of the Language of Violence in the Jesus Tradition

12.00-12.30

Ekaterini Tsalampouni: The Reception of Jesus’ Violent Sayings in the Ancient Church: The Case of Matthew 10:23 and Luke 12:49-51

12.30-12.50

Discussion

13.00-14.30

Lunch

Violent Texts in the Canon (II)

15.00-15.30

Marianne Bjelland Kartzow: The Figure of the Neighbour: Biblical Reception in War and Peace

15.30-16.00

Christos Karakolis: Paul the Apostle’s Rhetoric on Injustice and Its Bearing on Community Cohesion

16.00-16.30

Olimpiu Benea: The Reception of the „Fatal Law” of Colossians 3.5 in the Interpretation of the Church

16.30-17.00

Discussion

17.00-17.30

Coffee

17.30-18.00

Roman Ostrovskyy: The Female Body and Violence Against It in Revelation 17-18

18.00-18.30

Tobias Nicklas: The Bamberg Apocalypse. An Anti-Violent Revelation around 1000 AD?

18.30-19.00

 Michael Sommer: The Use/Abuse of the Revelation of John in Popular Culture

19.00-19.30

Discussion

19.45

Dinner

 June 28

Violence and Martyrdom in Early Christian Texts

9.00-9.30

Dariya Syroyid: Martyrdom of the Apostles in Ukrainian Manuscripts

9.30-10.00

Cosmin Pricop: Dealing with Violence in Some Apocryphal Acts of Apostles

10.00-10.30

Harry Maier: Manacled, Beaten, and Bound Temples of God: Cyprian of Carthage’s Uses of Vivid Speech and Scripture in the Comforting of Christian Prisoners under Imperial Occupation

10.30-11.00

Discussion

11.00-11.30

Coffee

Biblical Reception in the Context of the War

11.30-12.00

Taras Tymo: The Use and Abuse of Biblical Texts in the Context of the Full-Scale War in Ukraine (2022–2023): Examples and Theological Reflections

12.00-12.30

Cyril Hovorun: The Department of Biblical Studies at the Moscow Theological Academy and the War

12.30-13.00

Vasyl Rudeyko: Liturgical Prayers at the Time of War and Their Use as a Prayer for Protection / Peace / Victory

13.00-13.30

Discussion

13.30-14.45

Lunch

 The Reception of Violent Passages in Texts and Images

15.00-15.30

Solomiya Tymo: The Issue of War, Violence, and the Cult of ‘Holy Warriors’ in Byzantine Iconography

15.30-16.00

Andreas Dettwiler: The Violent Reception of the compelle intrare (Lk 14:23) and its Critical Reception by Pierre Bayle in his Treatise on Tolerance

16.00-16.20

Discussion

16.20-16.50

Coffee

16.50-17.20

Clare Rothschild: Adversus Judaeos Literature and the Epistle of Barnabas

17.20-17.50

Alexandru Ioniță: “His Blood Be on Us and on Our Children!” Mt 27:25 – Towards an Eastern (un)Orthodox Reception

17.50-18.20

Discussion

18.20-19.15

Concluding panel

19.30

Dinner

June 29

Visit to the Botanical garden. Departure

 Practical matters

Host: Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj, Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology and Centre for Biblical Studies

Venue: Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology, Iuliu Maniu str. 5. The venue is located downtown, in a pedestrian area.

Accommodation: We provide accommodation at the university hotel (Universitas), strada Plopilor 52-54. (We are still working on the budget. We will cover the costs for Ukrainian colleagues, and we are working on obtaining funds for the other speakers. More on that later.) The complex is located in the Iuliu Hațieganu park. The unpretentious rooms have a private bathroom.  From downtown, the hotel is accessible by tram. Tram 101 stops in front of the entrance.

Alternatively you can choose a downtown accommodation, at your own expense, within walking distance from the venue: hotels Victoria, Le Petit Paris, Fullton Central, Beyfin, or at the higher end, the recently opened Courtyard by Marriott, but also several private apartments. You may check the options on Booking.com, on the map.

Let us know latest on April 15 if you wish to stay at Hotel Universitas or you will make your own arrangements for your accommodation.

Arrival

If you arrive by train, take tram no. 101 in front of the railway station, travel direction “Bucium”. Step off at Plopilor Nord (5th stop).

If you fly to Cluj, from the airport you may take a taxi (notably for late flights). Otherwise, public transportation is convenient. The easiest is to take trolleybus no. 5 from the airport and step off at Strada Horea stop. From there continue ahead ca. 50 m and cross the street to the tram stop. Take tram no. 101. (The travel direction is “Bucium”, i.e. you will travel in the opposite direction compared to the trajectory of the trolleybus. Otherwise you will get to the railway station. Not a big problem either, as you can take the tram in front of the station as well). Step off at Plopilor Nord (4th stop).

The Airport bus is not convenient, as you will have to walk more from Piata Mihai Viteazu (the end destination) to the tram stop (and it costs twice as much. i.e. 6 lei).

You can pay the fare on the trolleybus/tram with a contactless card, at the smaller blue automates. They don’t give a receipt, but the green screen will turn blue; check if it shows in a while “Tranz. acceptata” before turning green again. You can also purchase tickets from the ticket vending machine at the bus stop in front of the airport, by card or with cash (only Romanian lei). A fare/ticket costs 3 RON. Single tickets are valid for one means of transport (for the entire trip from the airport to Universitas you need 2 tickets). Each ticket has to be validated on the trolleybus/tram at the larger blue validators.

Timetables:

Trolleybus 5: https://ctpcj.ro/index.php/en/timetables/urban-lines/linia-5  

Tram 101: https://ctpcj.ro/index.php/en/timetables/urban-lines/linia101  

If you travel from Ukraine by bus, let us know. We will try to pick you up from the bus station or offer further advice. Please also inform us if you travel by car.

Coming to the venue (Faculty of Roman Catholic Theology, Iuliu Maniu str. 5)

To get to the conference venue from the hotel, you may take / share a taxi to Piața Unirii, to the Vodafone store, which is on the corner with Iuliu Maniu street (the reception will call you a taxi). You can also take tram 101 to the Gheorghe Barițiu stop, and from there walk about 10 minutes.  

Most taxis take only cash (lei), few accept card payments. A fare to from the airport to the hotel

Prices for Diesel Taxi: http://dieseltaxi.ro/preturi_taxi_cluj/ (approx. 0.80-1 EUR/km

Please count with at least 35 minutes (even by taxi, as in the morning traffic jams are common). It is important to start on time because the schedule is very tight.

Currency

In Romania you can pay only with Romanian Lei (abbreviated RON). Debit /credit cards in EUR/USD/CHF are also accepted, and most stores accept card payments.

At the airport and railway station you may find ATMs. You can also get cash from ATMs at most banks (Transilvania, BCR, BRD, etc.) if you hold a card in one of the currencies mentioned above, and as far as we know now, you can also withdraw cash (RON) from your Ukrainian card.

1 EUR is a little less than 5 RON.

It is more difficult to exchange Hyrvnias. AXA Exchange located downtown (Strada Regele Ferdinand 34) usually buys Hryvnias. If you travel by car, you can buy RON at the border in Chernivtsi or Solotvyno. We will try to gather more information on this issue.

1 UAH is roughly 0.12 RON (100 RON is approx. 850 UAH).

Contact

Korinna Zamfir: kori_zamfir@yahoo.com, tel. 0729 848978 (international call: +40 729 848978)

Hilda Marczinkó (secretary of the Centre for Biblical Studies): hilda.marczinko@ubbcluj.ro

Please send any emails regarding accommodation, arrivals, meal requirements or other practical matters to Hilda as well.