Call for Papers

CHRIST ON THE CROSS

Croch Saithir: Envisioning Christ on the Cross in the Early Medieval West

29th ­ 30th March 2010, University College Cork

www.christonthecross.org

As far as the medieval world was concerned, Ireland represented the very
ends of the earth. The peripheral lands were perceived to be irregular in
their practice and unorthodox in their faith. Despite this, there were
certain constants of universal significance across the Christian world. One
such constant was Christ's crucifixion, which represented a defining moment
central to every branch of Christian theology. Yet even this was interpreted
in ways divergent enough to cause controversy and the image of Christ on the
cross was represented by variant groups accordingly.

The Passion is the moment when Christ's divinity and his humanity are fully
realised, and the synthesis of salvation and sacrifice is achieved. Christ
in glory resonatesthrough text and image across the early medieval West;
less well documented is the hardship of the cross, the croch saithir. This
conference invites new responses to depictions of Christ's Passion in a
variety of texts and images during the early medieval period from both
centre and periphery, including Rome, the Carolingian Empire, the Iberian
Peninsula and the Insular world.

TOPICS THAT MIGHT BE ADDRESSED
€ Liturgical responses to the rituals of Holy Week
€ Texts and their accompanying manuscript images
€ Audience, response and participation
€ Blending of traditions
€ Devotional piety
€ Public and private spheres
€ Performance

Abstracts of 500 words should be sent by 1st December 2009 to:
medievalirishchrist[at]gmail.com

Presentations should be 20 minutes in length and it is expected that
selected papers will be published in an edited volume of conference
proceedings.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
€ Dr Jennifer O'Reilly
€ (UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK)
€ Professor Celia Chazelle
€ (THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY)
€ Professor Louis van Tongeren
€ (TILBURG UNIVERSITY)

This project is funded by an IRCHSS Project Grant in Theology and Religious
Studies (www.irchss.ie <http://www.irchss.ie/> )
 

--------------------------------
Dr Jenifer Ní Ghrádaigh
Department of the History of Art
5 Perrott Avenue
University College Cork
Ireland
j.nighradaighucc.ie