Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101190
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,574.00
Summary
Early Jewish and Christian religious traditions. This project aims to bridge the study of early Jewish–Christian relations during late antiquity by focusing on the analysis of objects, such as amulets. Many of the narratives around surviving artefacts from antiquity conflict with inherited ideas about the boundaries between early Judaism and Christianity and raise questions that challenge assumptions about religious interaction. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the study of reli ....Early Jewish and Christian religious traditions. This project aims to bridge the study of early Jewish–Christian relations during late antiquity by focusing on the analysis of objects, such as amulets. Many of the narratives around surviving artefacts from antiquity conflict with inherited ideas about the boundaries between early Judaism and Christianity and raise questions that challenge assumptions about religious interaction. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the study of religion as it was practiced historically. Bringing together modern theories of comparison and social exchange, the project will offer unique insight into how religious interactions between people of different faiths actually unfold in everyday situations. It will also contribute to the implementation of primary-school curricula on religion in antiquity.Read moreRead less
Recently discovered rare manuscripts of mediaeval Pali subcommentaries: a missing link in Buddhist textual transmission. The project will "enhance Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies and cultures" (Research priority 4: Understanding our region and the world); it will deepen our understanding of religious and cultural traditions of many Buddhist countries, which constitute a substantial part of Australi ....Recently discovered rare manuscripts of mediaeval Pali subcommentaries: a missing link in Buddhist textual transmission. The project will "enhance Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies and cultures" (Research priority 4: Understanding our region and the world); it will deepen our understanding of religious and cultural traditions of many Buddhist countries, which constitute a substantial part of Australia's regional environment, and advance our knowledge of Buddhism, the fastest growing religion in Australia. Since this is the first project of its kind in the field of Pali studies, it will increase the international prestige of Australian research capability and open new possibilities for international cooperation in the field.Read moreRead less
Historical-critical commentary on the Odes of Solomon in two versions, a most extensive German edition and an abridged English edition. Since the sensational 1909 discovery of the first, Syriac, manuscript of the Odes of Solomon, an early Christian collection of 42 pseudepigraphical poems, there has never been published a commentary as detailed as other pioneering biblical and non-canonical commentaries. Writing such a commentary is based on applicant's extensive preliminary investigations: new ....Historical-critical commentary on the Odes of Solomon in two versions, a most extensive German edition and an abridged English edition. Since the sensational 1909 discovery of the first, Syriac, manuscript of the Odes of Solomon, an early Christian collection of 42 pseudepigraphical poems, there has never been published a commentary as detailed as other pioneering biblical and non-canonical commentaries. Writing such a commentary is based on applicant's extensive preliminary investigations: new edition, first complete concordance, annotated bibliography, monograph on ancient hymnology, German translation with introduction and notes, numerous articles. Further painstaking philological-critical research is indispensable for both German and abridged English commentary bringing the most ambitious research project on these enigmatic texts to completion within the next decade.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,023.00
Summary
Inside Others: Early Christian Protagonists and their Impairments. This project aims to uncover how disability functions in the portraits of key early Christian figures and their receptions over time. Its innovative approach combines disability studies, emotions studies, literary criticism, social history, and reception studies. It expects to generate new knowledge by intervening in disability readings of late antique literature, introducing a new category of impaired protagonists and constructi ....Inside Others: Early Christian Protagonists and their Impairments. This project aims to uncover how disability functions in the portraits of key early Christian figures and their receptions over time. Its innovative approach combines disability studies, emotions studies, literary criticism, social history, and reception studies. It expects to generate new knowledge by intervening in disability readings of late antique literature, introducing a new category of impaired protagonists and constructing the first reception history of disability in early Christianity. It intends to enhance Australia’s capacity in interdisciplinary studies of antiquity and contribute to critical reflection on the nature of impairment in light of urgent questions arising from the Disability Royal Commission and Covid-19 measures.Read moreRead less
The Papacy in Late Antiquity. The papacy, one of the oldest and most powerful institutions in the world, has recently been revitalized and gives every sign of retaining its authority in the immediate future. The research aims to explain how, across some three hundred years, it came to enjoy its position. In a world in which religious authority and allegiance is becoming more important, locally and internationally, a sound understanding of the foundations of a key institution will be of great ben ....The Papacy in Late Antiquity. The papacy, one of the oldest and most powerful institutions in the world, has recently been revitalized and gives every sign of retaining its authority in the immediate future. The research aims to explain how, across some three hundred years, it came to enjoy its position. In a world in which religious authority and allegiance is becoming more important, locally and internationally, a sound understanding of the foundations of a key institution will be of great benefit. Read moreRead less
The world through the prism of language: a cross-linguistic view of genders, noun classes, and classifiers. Australia is one of the most multilingual and multicultural countries in the world, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages. Noun classification devices - ranging from gender systems in familiar Indo-European languages to numeral classifiers in Southeast Asian languages - offer a unique insight into people's categorisation of the world around them. In-depth knowledge of how ....The world through the prism of language: a cross-linguistic view of genders, noun classes, and classifiers. Australia is one of the most multilingual and multicultural countries in the world, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages. Noun classification devices - ranging from gender systems in familiar Indo-European languages to numeral classifiers in Southeast Asian languages - offer a unique insight into people's categorisation of the world around them. In-depth knowledge of how speakers of different languages classify objects around them will promote intercultural understanding within Australia and world-wide, allowing us to overcome potential miscommunications due to different language backgrounds, and advancing our understanding of the region and the world (within the National Priority 'Safeguarding Australia'). Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100573
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,000.00
Summary
Classical Traditions and Future Thinking in Late Antiquity. The project aims to investigate how Classical texts were used to critique traditional Greco-Roman forms of predicting the future. It will show that future thinking is critical to the function of politics and religion in society, especially in times of sustained uncertainty. The project’s outcomes include a greater appreciation of the strategies Late-Antique thinkers used to confront and exploit Classical thought, the lasting impact unce ....Classical Traditions and Future Thinking in Late Antiquity. The project aims to investigate how Classical texts were used to critique traditional Greco-Roman forms of predicting the future. It will show that future thinking is critical to the function of politics and religion in society, especially in times of sustained uncertainty. The project’s outcomes include a greater appreciation of the strategies Late-Antique thinkers used to confront and exploit Classical thought, the lasting impact uncertainty may have on modes of future knowledge, and the intellectual developments of Late Antiquity. The project will benefit Australian culture by offering a clearer grasp of how humans construct, manipulate, and make use of future thinking when the world undergoes significant political and social flux.Read moreRead less
Protestant Apocalypticism, the Book of Revelation, and History in English Thought, 1550-1800. This project will make a further significant contribution to Australia's strong international reputation in Early Modern Thought. It is crucial to Australians' understanding of our contemporary world in which Apocalyptic dualism, particularly the demonisation of the other by both Western conservative elites and Christian and Muslim fundamentalists,is a central feature of modern discourse. With conservat ....Protestant Apocalypticism, the Book of Revelation, and History in English Thought, 1550-1800. This project will make a further significant contribution to Australia's strong international reputation in Early Modern Thought. It is crucial to Australians' understanding of our contemporary world in which Apocalyptic dualism, particularly the demonisation of the other by both Western conservative elites and Christian and Muslim fundamentalists,is a central feature of modern discourse. With conservative religious movements which treat the Bible literally significantly on the increase in Australia, it is crucial to the national interest to be aware of the socially divisive elements in both Biblical fundamentalism and contemporary Protestant sectarian Apocalypticism. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100854
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,204.00
Summary
The Female Voice in Ancient Philosophical Dialogues. This project aims to conceptualise and communicate how a major innovation was accepted in the ancient world, when women for the first time began to serve as intellectual role-models for both men and women. This project will create a ground-breaking narrative of female intellectuals over 800 years of history. The expected outcome is a new history of the role women played in the intellectual life in the ancient world, and a new understanding of ....The Female Voice in Ancient Philosophical Dialogues. This project aims to conceptualise and communicate how a major innovation was accepted in the ancient world, when women for the first time began to serve as intellectual role-models for both men and women. This project will create a ground-breaking narrative of female intellectuals over 800 years of history. The expected outcome is a new history of the role women played in the intellectual life in the ancient world, and a new understanding of how their voices were used as authorities on certain issues in philosophy and the good life. In addition, reflection on how this innovation was accepted historically will help modern attempts to advance the social cohesion of men and women, especially in the intellectual life. Read moreRead less
Ethical restoration after oppressive violence: a philosophical account. Contemporary political ethics has to face the question of how to repair relations that have broken down after crimes, oppression and political violence. Using the work of European and feminist philosophers to examine historical and recent cases including post-liberation France, post-genocide Rwanda and post-colonial Australasia and neighbouring countries, this project aims to develop a philosophical account of ethical restor ....Ethical restoration after oppressive violence: a philosophical account. Contemporary political ethics has to face the question of how to repair relations that have broken down after crimes, oppression and political violence. Using the work of European and feminist philosophers to examine historical and recent cases including post-liberation France, post-genocide Rwanda and post-colonial Australasia and neighbouring countries, this project aims to develop a philosophical account of ethical restoration, focusing on just punishment, forgiveness, reconciliation, building trust and atonement.Read moreRead less