HISTORY OF BYZANTINE CHRISTIANISM

The course of History of Byzantine Christianity is a teaching of the master's degree of "Sciences of Religions" and the master's degree in "Sciences of antiquity: literatures, history and archaeology". Teaching is also offered for the master's degree course in "History from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Age" and "History of the arts and conservation of artistic heritage".

The course of History of Byzantine Christianity offers students the training they need to learn how to identify the central themes in the millenary history of Byzantine Christianity, their cultural, literary and artistic stacks and the links with nearby historical realities, the Islamic world and the Latin West.

At the end of the course the students:
will know how to orient themselves in Byzantine religious and ecclesiastical history;
will know the religious and cultural relations between Byzantium and the surrounding worlds;
will be able to identify the central issues in the history of Byzantine Christianity;
know the fundamental terms and concepts of Byzantine Christianity.

Basic knowledge of Byzantine history.

The course is dedicated to the role of monks in the Church over a long period (6th-15th century) and to the growth of their weight and influence and is based on various sources (canonical, theological, spiritual theses, etc.). The course tries to illustrate the different stages and key moments of the evolution.
Topics
1. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite;
2. From the 9th to the 11th century, from Patriarch Methodius to Symeon the New Theologian and Niketas Stethatus;
3. The 14th and 15th centuries: Gregory the Sinaite and Symeon of Thessalonica.

Symeon the New Theologian, Epistle I: H. J. M. TURNER, The Epistles of St Symeon the New Theologian, Oxford, 2009, p. 26-64.
A. RIGO, Il monaco, la chiesa e la liturgia: i capitoli sulle gerarchie di Gregorio il Sinaita (La mistica cristiana tra Oriente e Occidente ,4), Firenze, 2005.
General overview: Gilbert Dagron's chapters in Storia del Cristianesimo, tomo IV, ed. Jean-Marie Mayeur, Charles e Luce Pietri, André Vauchez, Marc Venard.

Oral examination, or 70 % Oral examination; 30 % Presentation or short essay (in the form of a book review) agreed with the professor.

Lessons and short presentations by the students.

Italian

The presence is strongly recommended. Students who do not attend classes should prepare an alternative programme agreed with the professor.

oral