Academies under Stress: the Reinvention and Survival of Platonist Schools, 360BC-AD565. This project promises new insights into the versatility that is required for an intellectual movement to fend off social, political, religious, and intellectual pressures, preserving whatever is thought central to its mission, and responding positively to the needs and demands of successive eras. Though grounded in antiquity, and involving a Greek movement's response to successive Macedonian, Roman, and Chris ....Academies under Stress: the Reinvention and Survival of Platonist Schools, 360BC-AD565. This project promises new insights into the versatility that is required for an intellectual movement to fend off social, political, religious, and intellectual pressures, preserving whatever is thought central to its mission, and responding positively to the needs and demands of successive eras. Though grounded in antiquity, and involving a Greek movement's response to successive Macedonian, Roman, and Christian pressures, or to other pressures of a social, political, scientific, and religious nature, modern analogies will be instructive. In particular it should offer lessons both for higher educational bodies and for minority intellectual or religious movements responding to mono-cultural pressures that regularly arise. Read moreRead less
Liberty, Anti-transportation and the Empire of Morality. The campaign to end convict transportation to Australia was a key step to the establishment of a liberal democracy founded on the highest moral principles. This project will safeguard Australia's national interest by creating new knowledge about the religious and political sources for the ideals of political and personal freedom that are foundational to the Australian national identity.
Communication networks in Upper Egyptian monastic communities in the 6th to 8th centuries CE. This project will enhance Australia's hard-earned profile in the field of early Christianity in its Late classical context, contextualising Coptic studies within this wider field, and promoting internationally the quality of local research into early Christianity, Late Antique Egypt, and papyrology. It enables an understanding of the processes which stand behind the communication networks of the modern ....Communication networks in Upper Egyptian monastic communities in the 6th to 8th centuries CE. This project will enhance Australia's hard-earned profile in the field of early Christianity in its Late classical context, contextualising Coptic studies within this wider field, and promoting internationally the quality of local research into early Christianity, Late Antique Egypt, and papyrology. It enables an understanding of the processes which stand behind the communication networks of the modern world. It directly contributes to the preservation of the culture of Australia's own Coptic community, facilitating access to its cultural heritage, and provides a research focus to complement Macquarie's new commitment to the teaching of the Coptic language and history.Read moreRead less
Religious authority and linguistic change in late antique Egypt: non-elite perspectives on the rise of monasticism in contemporary documents. This will enhance Australia's hard-earned profile in the fields which contribute to its approach, promoting internationally the quality of local research. It poses questions which multilingual societies drawn from different migratory strands and strong indigenous traditions must face. Its answers will contribute to the debates Australia continues to have o ....Religious authority and linguistic change in late antique Egypt: non-elite perspectives on the rise of monasticism in contemporary documents. This will enhance Australia's hard-earned profile in the fields which contribute to its approach, promoting internationally the quality of local research. It poses questions which multilingual societies drawn from different migratory strands and strong indigenous traditions must face. Its answers will contribute to the debates Australia continues to have on these issues. It directly contributes to the preservation of the culture of Australia's own Coptic community, facilitating access to its own traditions, and providing a research focus to complement Macquarie's new commitment to the teaching of the Coptic language and history. The resulting monograph will transform international scholarship on a key development of world civilisation.Read moreRead less
Contemporary scientific explanations of religion: A methodological and philosophical analysis. The idea that religion is an evolved feature of human nature plays a key role in the ongoing culture war between those critical of some aspects of the scientific worldview, especially the theory of evolution, and those who take it upon themselves to defend science against the perceived threat of religion, notably the so-called 'new atheist' media stars. Analysing the philosophical and methodological is ....Contemporary scientific explanations of religion: A methodological and philosophical analysis. The idea that religion is an evolved feature of human nature plays a key role in the ongoing culture war between those critical of some aspects of the scientific worldview, especially the theory of evolution, and those who take it upon themselves to defend science against the perceived threat of religion, notably the so-called 'new atheist' media stars. Analysing the philosophical and methodological issues raised by naturalistic explanations of religion will clarify the potential relationships between science and religion in a pluralist and predominantly secularist society like Australia in which the claims of science are accorded a special authority.Read moreRead less
Religion, welfare and problem populations in Australia, 1788-2006. Given that faith-based welfare providers have become more important in the welfare sector in recent years, it is important that their origins, similarities and differences are fully understood, especially as religious practice is easily stereotyped in the media. This project's historical focus will give policy makers and field workers a sense of perspective in dealing with contemporary problems. In revealing the varying effectiv ....Religion, welfare and problem populations in Australia, 1788-2006. Given that faith-based welfare providers have become more important in the welfare sector in recent years, it is important that their origins, similarities and differences are fully understood, especially as religious practice is easily stereotyped in the media. This project's historical focus will give policy makers and field workers a sense of perspective in dealing with contemporary problems. In revealing the varying effectiveness of religious groups to assist participation in the past, it will assist people to make informed and positive choices and thus strengthen the contemporary social and economic fabric.Read moreRead less
Macrina of Annesi and the Emergence of Monasticism in Central Anatolia. This project builds on extensive research into the 'Great Asketikon' of Basil the Great, the primary document of monasticism in Anatolia (modern Turkey). By using on-the-ground search for the location of Annesi (the family home of Macrina, Basil's sister), a new collation of all the sources relating to Macrina and a new collection of the letters of Gregory of Nyssa, Macrina's biographer, it aims to present a revised view of ....Macrina of Annesi and the Emergence of Monasticism in Central Anatolia. This project builds on extensive research into the 'Great Asketikon' of Basil the Great, the primary document of monasticism in Anatolia (modern Turkey). By using on-the-ground search for the location of Annesi (the family home of Macrina, Basil's sister), a new collation of all the sources relating to Macrina and a new collection of the letters of Gregory of Nyssa, Macrina's biographer, it aims to present a revised view of the emergence of this local monasticism. Two books, if not three will result: an historical monograph, 'The Book of Macrina' and 'The Letters of Gregory of Nyssa'.Read moreRead less