International conference “Monastic Letter Writing in Late Antiquity”

The DFG-funded project Monasticism and Local Self-Organisation is pleased to announce the international conference:

“Monastic Letter Writing in Late Antiquity: The Role of Epistolary Communication in Monastic Life and Organisation”

The conference is scheduled to take place at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg on 25–26 March 2026. It aims to explore monastic letters from an interdisciplinary perspective – patristic and church history, philology, and ancient history – considering different languages and specific examples.

Invited speakers (in alphabetical order):

• Prof. Brouria Bitton-Ashkelony (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
• Dr. Francesco Celia (Università degli Studi di Padova)
• Dr. Elizabeth Mattingly Conner (University of Maryland)
• Dr. Sandra Erker (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg)
• Prof. Peter Gemeinhardt (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)
• Prof. Jennifer Hevelone-Harper (Gordon College, Massachusetts)
• Prof. Johan Leemans (KU Leuven)
• Prof. Hugo Lundhaug (University of Oslo)
• Prof. Jan R. Stenger (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg)
• Dr. Marianna Thoma (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)
• Dr. Madalina Toca (Universität Wien)
• Dr. Paula Tutty

Venue:
Institut für Klassische Philologie der Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg,
Residenzplatz 2,
Griechischbibliothek der Residenz / Südflügel (R.3.27)

Guests are welcome to attend the in-person conference. Please register in advance: sandra.erker@uni-wuerzburg.de

Organisers:
Dr. Sandra Erker and Prof. Jan R. Stenger (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg)

Further information:
Conference programme
Conference announcement