Conference report "Monastic Letter Writing in Late Antiquity"

From 25 to 26 March 2026, the DFG-funded project Monasticism and Local Self-Organisation organised a two-day conference on the role of epistolary communication in monastic life and organisation, exploring monastic letters and their epistolarity from an interdisciplinary perspective – patristic and church history, philology, and ancient history.

As part of the conference programme, the DFG-funded project Monasticism and Local Self-Organisation presented its research results with presentations by Dr Sandra Erker and Professor Jan R. Stenger, who were also the organisers of the event:

Sandra Erker: “Counselling, Connection, and Communal Pressure. The Versatile Role of the Letter in Isidore of Pelusium’s Monastic Correspondence”
Jan R. Stenger: “Spiritual Direction in Epistolary Form: Barsanuphius and John Guiding the Progress toward Ascetic Perfection”

A volume is planned for publication following the conference.
 

Further information:
Conference programme
Conference announcement