In the Grip of the Supernatural BCDSS Conference Sept. 28-30, 2021

The conference "In the Grip of the Supernatural" is looking to explore the connection between the phenomenon of dependency and the realm of the supernatural God, angels, demons) in late antique and early medieval Christianity. In most ancient cultures heaven and earth are seen as forming one large hierarchical pyramid. This vision is shared by Christianity: there was no strict demarcation between the natural world and the realm of the supernatural; instead, the physical and metaphysical realities (which were, of course, perceived by our natural faculties in different ways) were seen as forming part of an all-encompassing view of the universe. In this universe clear structures of dependency existed which crossed the borders between the physical and the metaphysical, both linking and organizing heaven and earth. The conference intends to study these structures in greater detail and thus to enhance our knowledge of dependencies in the ancient and early medieval world. Download program here