Gods In and At the Theater: Drama and the Religious in Ancient Greece
The study of Greek religion has long embraced its relationship to literature, and drama in particular has played a central role in this ongoing dynamic. At the same time, powerful trends in the study of Greek religion have been a key factor in shaping how literature engages with Religious Studies. As a result, the focus on the polis inevitably has introduced a polarized dynamic of local vs. Panhellenic, and the structural embeddedness in the social context has limited considerations of the imaginative potential of literature to innovate in a way that challenges social norms. A concern with texts has also de-emphasized the study of the rituals, processions and religious context of the performance of Greek drama, especially outside of Athens.
The Society for Ancient Mediterranean Religions invites scholars and students of ancient drama and religion to submit abstracts that address one aspect of the varied interrelations between Greek religion and drama. Such aspects might include (but are not limited to):
• Greek drama as performance of human-divine relations
• Greek drama as commentary on religious practices
• Greek drama as the expression of the religious worldview, including skepticism, of its authors
• Modern studies on Greek drama problematizing the use of literature in religious studies
Abstracts should be submitted by email attachment as .doc or .docx files to socamr@gmail.com and should be from 500-600 words in length for a paper to last between 15 to 20 minutes. Abstracts should contain a title and a word count, but should not have any information regarding the identity of the submitter. For further information about abstract format, please see the SCS Program Guide. The deadline for submission of abstracts is Wednesday, March 1, 2017, and all abstracts for papers will be reviewed anonymously. For further information, please contact Nancy Evans, Department of Classics, Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766 (evans_nancy@wheatoncollege.edu).