CALL FOR PAPERS

for a topical issue of Open Theology

CULTURAL TRAUMA AND THE HEBREW BIBLE

Open Theology (https://www.degruyter.com/OPTH) invites submissions for the topical issue “Cultural Trauma and the Hebrew Bible,” edited by Danilo Verde (KU Leuven) and Dominik Markl (Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome).

In his work titled Trauma: A Social Theory, American sociologist Jeffrey C. Alexander argues: “Cultural trauma occurs when members of a collectivity feel they have been subjected to a horrendous event that leaves indelible marks upon their group consciousness, marking their memories forever and changing their future identity in fundamental and irrevocable ways” (p. 19). From this perspective, the mere occurrence of historical catastrophes or collective traumas does not necessarily result in cultural trauma, since cultural trauma only emerges when a collective catastrophe indelibly shapes a group’s collective memory and produces a profound revision of that group’s collective identity. Cultural trauma studies by no means constitute a single, monolithic research paradigm; yet, scholars in this field largely agree that cultural traumas “are for the most part historically made, not born” (Neil J. Smelser, Psychological Trauma and Cultural Trauma, 37), in the sense that they are the result of complex social processes.

Assuming the perspective of cultural trauma studies in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament scholarship involves understanding how texts and traditions that eventually formed the HB/OT both represented and shaped ancient Israel’s collective identity as profoundly disrupted and in need of recreation. The HB/OT frequently refers to collective experiences of disasters and crises. We accept papers that investigate the interrelationship between biblical representations of collective suffering and the creation of collective identity in ancient Israel and early Judaism in light of cultural trauma theory. Authors will explore biblical texts such as collective laments, curses, narratives, etc. not only as texts representing and voicing the community’s experience of catastrophic events, but also as tools to shape cultural trauma in ancient Israel and early Judaism. Authors are also encouraged to explore relevant texts as “equipment for living” (see  Kenneth Burke, Literature as Equipment for Living, 593-598) for the addressed community, namely as the literary and religious heritage through which the carrier groups of biblical texts attempted to build social resilience by coping with and giving meaning to collective suffering. Among others, topics or areas of focus might include:

• Representations of collective trauma in the HB/OT: Narrative texts
• Representations of collective trauma in the HB/OT: Poetic texts
• Biblical strategies for the shaping of cultural traumas
• Biblical strategies for the shaping of social resilience
• Cultural trauma in the HB/OT and in ancient near Eastern literature: Patterns and motifs
• Carrier groups of cultural traumas and their agendas in ancient Israel and early Judaism
• Cultural trauma hermeneutics and historical critical approaches
• The use of the Bible in shaping cultural trauma in the history of Judaism and Christianity

Authors publishing their articles in the topical issue will benefit from:

– Transparent, comprehensive, and efficient peer review.

– Free language assistance for authors from non-English speaking regions.

Because Open Theology is published in Open Access, as a rule, publication costs should be covered by so called Article Publishing Charges (APC), paid by authors, their affiliated institutions, funders or sponsors. 

Authors without access to publishing funds are encouraged to discuss potential discounts or waivers with Managing Editor of the journal Katarzyna Tempczyk (katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyter.com) before submitting their manuscripts.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submissions will be collected by March 31, 2022, via the on-line submission system at http://www.editorialmanager.com/openth/

Choose as article type: Cultural Trauma and the Hebrew Bible

Before submission the authors should carefully read over the Instruction for Authors, available at: https://www.degruyter.com/publication/journal_key/OPTH/downloadAsset/OPTH_Instruction%20for%20Authors.pdf

All contributions will undergo critical peer-review before being accepted for publication.

Further questions about this thematic issue can be addressed to Danilo Verde at danilo.verde@kuleuven.be. In case of technical or financial questions, please contact Managing Editor of the journal Katarzyna Tempczyk at katarzyna.tempczyk@degruyter.com

14th Contact Day Jewish Studies on the Low Countries Institute of Jewish Studies

University of Antwerp

Thursday 12 May 2022

Call for Papers

The Institute of Jewish Studies organizes for the fourteenth time an interdisciplinary conference at the University of Antwerp concerning Jewish Studies on the Low Countries. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate contacts between researchers working within this area of study. We especially encourage young researchers to participate in the workshop. We also hope for contributions from more established researchers, in order to create a positive exchange between different research generations.

We particularly invite papers and/or sessions that are explicitly comparative in character, and welcome themes and disciplines within Jewish Studies concerning the Low Countries. Proposals need not be limited to a specific historical period and presentations may include work in progress. Both individual and panel proposals are possible. The conference language is English. Please note that the conference organizers cannot provide financial support to cover travel and accommodation of presenters or participants. Please submit an abstract of maximally 400 words and a short CV by 15 January 2022.

For further information please contact: Karin Hofmeester: kho@iisg.nl Veerle Vanden Daelen: veerle.vandendaelen@kazernedossin.eu

Call for Applications for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellowships
70 Years of Holocaust Compensation and Restitution

On September 10, 1952, historical agreements were signed in Luxembourg between the government of Israel, the Conference on Jewish Materials Claims Against Germany, and the government of West Germany regarding the provision of reparations and compensations. To mark the event and within the framework of an international conference on the topic “70 Years of Holocaust Compensation and Restitution”, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany will provide five fellowships of $5,000 each to outstanding doctoral and post-doctoral scholars whose research deals with topics relating to the agreement and its various past and present implications, such as social, diplomatic, legal, and economic aspects. The conference will be organized jointly by the Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center at Tel Aviv University, the Claims Conference, and Yad Vashem, in cooperation with a number of additional institutions, and will be held at Tel Aviv University on November 14–16, 2022. Kindly view the official Call for Papers for further details on the event.

Projects should involve approximately a one-year study, including presentation of a paper at the conference, and submission of an article in English based upon the research. In addition, Fellows will be invited to take part in a research group that will hold monthly online seminars organized by the Leo Baeck Institute, the Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights, and the Minerva Center for Human Rights as well as any related academic events on the topic.

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany will provide five fellowships of $5,000 each to outstanding doctoral and post-doctoral scholars whose research deals with topics relating to the agreement. Scholars who wish to submit proposals to the steering committee are invited to read the full requirements and conditions in the Call for Applications for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellowships and submit their proposals by October 31, 2021.

Please contact us with any further questions and requests at: adip@tauex.tau.ac.il

URL: https://en-humanities.tau.ac.il/diaspora/70_Years_of_Holocaust_Compensation_and_Restitution_CFP_CFA

Call for Papers
70 Years of Holocaust Compensation and Restitution
International Conference, Tel Aviv University,
November 14–16, 2022

The Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center at Tel Aviv University, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and Yad Vashem are organizing an international conference to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Luxembourg Agreement, in cooperation with a number of additional institutions.

The conference will take place next year at Tel Aviv University on November 14–16, 2022.

We are pleased to invite scholars who wish to present their research to submit proposals to the steering committee by October 31, 2021. Kindly view the official Call for Papers for further details.

In addition, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany will provide five fellowships of $5,000 each to outstanding doctoral and post-doctoral scholars whose research deals with topics relating to the agreement. Scholars who wish to submit proposals to the steering committee are invited to read the full requirements and conditions in the Call for Applications for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellowships and submit their proposals by October 31, 2021.

Please contact us with any further questions and requests at: adip@tauex.tau.ac.il

Our partners at the Leo Baeck Institute, the Jacob Robinson Institute for the History of Individual and Collective Rights, and the Minerva Center for Human Rights will also hold a one-day symposium on Global Aspects of the Luxembourg Agreement. The event will take place on November 17, 2022 at the Hebrew University. They also plan to establish a research group that will hold monthly online seminars on the topic.

Email Link: For further information on this event

URL: https://en-humanities.tau.ac.il/diaspora/70_Years_of_Holocaust_Compensation_and_Restitution_CFP_CFA