Liturgical texts and practices in the ancient world. This project aims to reconstruct the liturgical life of one of the most diverse and influential religious traditions across Eurasia, from Roman Egypt to early modern China: the Manichaeans. It investigates cultural adaptation, chronological development and unity of practice in a deeper manner that helps support the discipline of religious studies more generally. It expects to generate new knowledge through the critical editing of complex texts ....Liturgical texts and practices in the ancient world. This project aims to reconstruct the liturgical life of one of the most diverse and influential religious traditions across Eurasia, from Roman Egypt to early modern China: the Manichaeans. It investigates cultural adaptation, chronological development and unity of practice in a deeper manner that helps support the discipline of religious studies more generally. It expects to generate new knowledge through the critical editing of complex texts and the employment of emergent methodologies for an integrated, holistic understanding of community literatures in terms of lived religion. Expected outcomes are advances to methodology and the profiling of one aspect of the ancient world.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100676
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,350.00
Summary
From Sivasasana to Agama: The (Trans)formation of Balinese Hindu Canon. This project is an interdisciplinary study of the foundational textual canon underpinning the reformed version of Hinduism that developed on Bali from the early 20th century. It aims to provide a new perspective on modern and contemporary Balinese Hinduism in the light of the premodern Hindu religious discourse, analysing neglected sources of textual and historical data. The approach is designed to do justice to the sophisti ....From Sivasasana to Agama: The (Trans)formation of Balinese Hindu Canon. This project is an interdisciplinary study of the foundational textual canon underpinning the reformed version of Hinduism that developed on Bali from the early 20th century. It aims to provide a new perspective on modern and contemporary Balinese Hinduism in the light of the premodern Hindu religious discourse, analysing neglected sources of textual and historical data. The approach is designed to do justice to the sophisticated and centuries-old Balinese tradition of translation and exegesis of Sanskrit sources from the Indian Subcontinent, which still plays an important role in contemporary Bali.Read moreRead less
The Design and Decoration of Burial Chambers in Old Kingdom Egypt. This project represents a significant attempt to understand the rationale behind the evolving design and decoration of Ancient Egyptian burial chambers. The undertaking of this important research by Australian based scholars will continue to establish Australia as a leading nation in the important international discipline of Egyptology, while also continuing to forge a relationship with Egypt. During an era in which Australians h ....The Design and Decoration of Burial Chambers in Old Kingdom Egypt. This project represents a significant attempt to understand the rationale behind the evolving design and decoration of Ancient Egyptian burial chambers. The undertaking of this important research by Australian based scholars will continue to establish Australia as a leading nation in the important international discipline of Egyptology, while also continuing to forge a relationship with Egypt. During an era in which Australians have in general engaged in discourses of insecurity and threat, our project will resonate with many contemporary concerns, asserting a link between the growing sophistication of society and a concomitant sense of threat and insecurity.Read moreRead less
Unfinished business: on Marxism and religion. 'Unfinished Business' makes a significant contribution to issues that have returned with vigour to public debate: the role of religion in ostensibly secular societies and the relation between theology and political radicalism. It offers a much needed reference work that sets current debates within a rich tradition.
The function of images in magical papyri and artefacts of ritual power from Late Antiquity. A study of images in magical papyri and related artefacts from Late Antiquity, drawn for the purpose of healing and protection or to achieve success in personal relations and business. The research outcome will be a new holistic understanding of the design and use of such objects, and the transmission of traditions of knowledge in ancient society.
The sacred economy. In light of the Bible's crucial role in the development and justification of various theories of capitalism, it is surprising that no comprehensive economic reconstruction of the Bible's economic context has yet been undertaken. This project undertakes that task, offering both theoretical sophistication and close attention to available data.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101136
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,416.00
Summary
Understanding Philosophical Progress. This project aims to develop the first unified account of progress in science and philosophy, by extending the noetic account of scientific progress into an account of philosophical progress. According to this account, progress consists in increased understanding, i.e., in grasping how something depends on, or fails to depend on, something else. Developing a unified account will shed light on the nature of intellectual progress quite generally, as well subst ....Understanding Philosophical Progress. This project aims to develop the first unified account of progress in science and philosophy, by extending the noetic account of scientific progress into an account of philosophical progress. According to this account, progress consists in increased understanding, i.e., in grasping how something depends on, or fails to depend on, something else. Developing a unified account will shed light on the nature of intellectual progress quite generally, as well substantially advancing meta-philosophical debates about (i) the prevalence of philosophical progress; (ii) whether, and the ways in which, expert disagreement would undermine progress; and (iii) which philosophical methodologies promote progress.Read moreRead less
A life in time. This project aims to explore the connection between theories of time and timelessness in metaphysics and physics, and our lived experience as agents. The story of our lives is one that unfolds through time; ever changing and updating as we add to the store of memories through which we understand our past selves, and our store of intentions, through which we shape our future selves. Yet there is disagreement about the nature of time: about what time is and whether, in fact, it rea ....A life in time. This project aims to explore the connection between theories of time and timelessness in metaphysics and physics, and our lived experience as agents. The story of our lives is one that unfolds through time; ever changing and updating as we add to the store of memories through which we understand our past selves, and our store of intentions, through which we shape our future selves. Yet there is disagreement about the nature of time: about what time is and whether, in fact, it really exists at all. The project will look to determine what structure the temporal dimension must have if it is to support agents like us, and whether, if there is no temporal dimension, as some physicists suggest, we can make any sense of our lived experience.Read moreRead less
Sceptical reasoning: its epistemological nature, limits, and worth. Philosophers usually take sceptical reasoning seriously — yet without agreeing on why this should be so — even when wishing not to be sceptics about people ever having knowledge. This project will uncover new problems in sceptical reasoning while offering new ideas as to how, even so, it could be epistemologically valuable.
Religion and Political Thought. Why do so many Australian political leaders increasingly profess religious belief, while the public becomes more secular? What does this mean for our politics? Religion and Political Thought (RAPT's) interdisciplinary, rigorous analysis contributes both to a large international project (Asia, Europe and North America), and to developing an Australian tradition of political theory.