Religious Convergence in the Ancient Mediterranean

Conference Call For Papers

Religious Convergence in the Ancient Mediterranean

Sponsored by the Whitaker Foundation, and the Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions

June 23–26, 2016

Villa Whitaker, Palermo, Sicily

Historical and cultural studies over the last two decades have embraced a range of models and foci for exploring distinct communities at points of cultural and geographic convergence, including network models, complexity studies, colonial encounters, middle ground, frontiers, ethnicity studies, center–periphery, empire theory, and the articulation of “alien” identity within a complex urban setting. Geographic and cultural points of convergence offer exceptional insight not only into ritual studies and the exploration of ritual as mediating and adaptive space, but also for identity construction and the connectivity that enables economic and political advantage. This international conference brings together scholars in religion, archaeology, philology, and history to explore case studies and theoretical models of converging religions.

Convergence may be explored along any of…