The Papacy in Late Antiquity. The papacy, one of the oldest and most powerful institutions in the world, has recently been revitalized and gives every sign of retaining its authority in the immediate future. The research aims to explain how, across some three hundred years, it came to enjoy its position. In a world in which religious authority and allegiance is becoming more important, locally and internationally, a sound understanding of the foundations of a key institution will be of great ben ....The Papacy in Late Antiquity. The papacy, one of the oldest and most powerful institutions in the world, has recently been revitalized and gives every sign of retaining its authority in the immediate future. The research aims to explain how, across some three hundred years, it came to enjoy its position. In a world in which religious authority and allegiance is becoming more important, locally and internationally, a sound understanding of the foundations of a key institution will be of great benefit. Read moreRead less
Festival, Spectacle and Plays in Renaissance Florence. Wherever public money and community effort are expended on festive display, religious devotion, or promoting national prestige through performance, questions arise about how such expense can be justified, and how the community measures its success. This project examines those questions in relation to Renaissance Florence which provided many of the models for early modern European festivals. It will analyse some of the ways in which the commu ....Festival, Spectacle and Plays in Renaissance Florence. Wherever public money and community effort are expended on festive display, religious devotion, or promoting national prestige through performance, questions arise about how such expense can be justified, and how the community measures its success. This project examines those questions in relation to Renaissance Florence which provided many of the models for early modern European festivals. It will analyse some of the ways in which the community and its individual members contributed to and reaped the benefit of participation in public performance and devotion. It will also provide cautionary examples of the abuse of such modes of performance by corrupt regimes.Read moreRead less
Reconfiguring ideology: embodying China's new concepts of heritage in commemorative rituals. Knowledge of China's newly listed and recently revived commemorative rituals is of international significance, and in the era of rising religiosity and civil religion, this study of the state sponsored 'heritage cults' will provide an understanding of the changing terrain of identity, tradition and cultural value in a country that is of crucial importance and increasing significance for Australia.