The Doctoral Association of the Centre for Higher Renaissance Studies (CESR) will hold a graduate conference in Tours on May 22, 2025, focusing on: “Magic and Religion: Ancient Legacies, Renaissance Perspectives.”
Context: From its origins, defining magic has helped delineate religious norms: the mage was initially a magus or priest of the Persian Empire, whose cultural otherness the Greeks emphasized to clarify their own religious codes. This tension between magic and religion has persisted through the centuries, with religious and magical rites becoming competing modes of access to the divine. The early modern period in Europe marks a turning point in this rivalry, as rediscovering ancient esotericism and questioning the institutional frameworks of Christianity during the Reformation blurred the boundaries between magic and religion. As they rediscovered the Platonic tradition with renewed enthusiasm, humanists such as Marsilio Ficino and Giordano Bruno developed a syncretic thought fraught with mystical undertones, blending Christian theology with detailed descriptions of magical rituals. For the first time, “magicians” claimed this title for themselves to assert the legitimacy of their alternative spiritualities. Finally, the rise of a devotio moderna, oriented towards popular piety and personal faith experiences, placed superstitious practices, detached from religious offices and linked, for example, to the veneration of images, at the heart of the religious ritual. This doctoral meeting will explore how Renaissance thought, while appropriating ancient texts, redefined the boundaries between magic and religion throughout an intellectually and spiritually transforming Europe.
The colloquium is grounded in the CESR’s research themes of “Cultures of Religious Plurality & Politics: Conflict and Concord” and “Humanism,” and is designed as an interdisciplinary event. Submissions related to literature in all its forms—including translation, commentary, or history—across European languages (including Neo-Latin), the arts (painting, sculpture, music, and architecture), and the history of science and technology, are encouraged and will be reviewed by the committee.
Suggested Themes:
-Reception of Ancient Doctrines
-How were ancient magical practices and theories received in the Renaissance?
-What is the relationship to magical figures of ancient texts, such as the character of Medea?
-What links exist between Neoplatonism and magical practices?
-What medieval intermediaries existed between ancient and renaissance approaches to magic?
-Wording Magic
-What are the key magical texts? To which literary genres do they belong (recipes, philosophical treatises, literary works…)?
-What languages were used to define or practice magic (relationship to symbols, the role of ancient languages—Greek, Latin, Hebrew…)?
-What terminology was employed to describe magic, and how does it differ from religious language?
-Material Magics
-What magical virtues are attributed to matter?
-What materials are considered magical?
-Which art forms are particularly associated with magic?
-Beliefs and Miracles: Magic in Society
-What spaces were available for the practice or reception of magic in the Renaissance?
-What is the relationship between magic and political or religious institutions? Is it always condemned, or are forms of integration observed?
-What differences can be observed across countries and cultural areas?
Submission Information: We invite early-career researchers (Master’s students, doctoral candidates, or those who have defended their dissertation within the last two years) to submit a 300-word proposal for a 20-minute presentation, along with a brief CV, by January 31, 2025 to [email protected]. Acceptance notifications will be sent by February 23, 2025.
Selected presentations will be published in the Travaux du Centre d’Études Supérieures de la Renaissance series by Classiques Garnier (subject to approval).
Practical Information: Travel and accommodation expenses are the responsibility of the speakers or their affiliated institutions. Lunch will be provided by CESR.
For any questions regarding accessibility for persons with disabilities, please do not hesitate to contact us.
