The Sense(s) of History: Ancient Apocalypses and Their Temporalities

Boston, 16 – 17 November 2017

Harvard

Co-Chair: Giovanni B. Bazzana (HDS) and Gabriele Boccaccini (Enoch Seminar)

Secretary: Joshua Scott (Univ. Michigan)

This colloquium, organized in collaboration between the Enoch Seminar and Harvard Divinity School, aims to explore the varying historicities and temporalities present in ancient apocalyptic literature as a means to enhance our understanding of its historical and religious significance in terms of ontologies, epistemologies, and socio-political imaginations. To achieve this goal the colloquium will feature not only papers dealing with the better-known Jewish and Christian apocalypses of the Second Temple period and of Late Antiquity. Other ancient religious and cultural traditions will be part of the conversation and specific attention will be paid to the current and very lively debates that are taking place within anthropology of history.

 

The colloquium will run from 2pm on Thursday November 16th to the evening of Friday November 17th in Andover Hall, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis avenue, Cambridge (MA). The colloquium will have a concluding panel immediately preceding the Enoch seminar reception on Saturday November 18th at 7-9pm.

November 16th (Braun room, HDS)

12.30 Arrivals and reception

2.00-2.30 Welcoming remarks from Giovanni B. Bazzana (HDS) and Gabriele Boccaccini (Enoch seminar)

2.30-4 Papers. Giovanni B. Bazzana (Harvard University), “The Sense(s) of History in Ancient Apocalyptic Literature: Interdisciplinary Perspectives” Paul J. Kosmin (Harvard University), “Altneuland”, respondent TBA

4.30-6.30 Public lecture. Charles Stewart (University College London) “The Variety of Historical Experience” in Sperry room

7-9 Reception for the panelists (Rabinowitz)

November 17th (Braun room, HDS)

9.30-11 Papers.Yvona Trnka-Amrhein (University of Colorado), “Kings Out of Time: Royal Chronologies between Greco-Egyptian Narrative and Prophecy” Duncan MacRae (UC Berkeley), “Capitoline Pasts, Capitoline Futures: on the Urbanity of Roman Time” Respondent Emma Dench (Harvard University)

11.30-1 Papers.Judith Newman (University of Toronto), “Sensing the Temporal: On Integrating Embodied Perspectives into the Study of Apocalyptic” Rebecca Scharbach Wollenberg (University of Michigan), “The Changing Apocalypse: Apocalyptic Literature as a Provisional Genre in Early Rabbinic Judaism” Respondent Kelley Coblentz-Bautch (St. Edward’s University)

Light lunch

2.30-4 Papers. Harry O. Maier (Vancouver School of Theology – Max Weber Center at the University of Erfurt), “Making History with the Shepherd of Hermas” Olivia Stewart (Yale University), “Revealed History as Prophetic Rivalry: John’s Apocalypse and Apollo’s Shrine at Delphi” Mauro Belcastro (University of Geneva), “The Advent of the Different: thlipsis, hypomone, elpis and the Temporal Disclosure of Divine Eternity in the Pauline Epistles” Respondent TBA

4.30-6 PapersLoren Stuckenbruck (University of München), “Divine Activity in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature: Focusing on the Recent Past” Lorenzo DiTommaso (Concordia University), “Apocalyptic Historiography” Respondent Matthias Henze (Rice University)

November 18th (7:00-9:30 pm, Essex Ballroom South at the Westin Copley Place)

7-9pm — Final Panel [open to all SBL members] (chair Gabriele Boccaccini) Presentation of the Festschrift honoring M. Stone Enoch seminar reception