TRADITIO: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion, is published annually by Fordham University. The Board of Editors was recently reconstituted and comprises: Martin Chase (English, Associate Managing Editor), Joseph T. Lienhard (Theology, Managing Editor), Wolfgang Mueller (History), and Giorgio Pini (Philosophy), all at Fordham University; Susan Boynton (Music), and Carmela Vircillo Franklin (Classics), both at Columbia University; and William E. Klingshirn (Greek and Latin), at the Catholic University of America.

TRADITIO publishes monographic essays, critical editions of texts, and research tools in Classics, Early Christianity, Late Antiquity, and Medieval and Byzantine Studies. Disciplinary approaches include philology, history, theology, philosophy, literature, and art history. The managing editor, or any of the editors, will gladly receive manuscripts for review, or inquiries about submitting articles. For further details, see www.fordham.edu/traditio.

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TRINITY EVANGELICAL DIVINITY SCHOOL, a graduate educational institution affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America, invites applications and nominations for a faculty position in Patristics and Early Christian History, to begin by the fall of 2009. The successful candidate will possess a Ph.D. in church history or a related discipline, a record of rigorous academic scholarship, demonstrated effectiveness in the classroom, and an enthusiastic commitment to training future pastors and scholars for the global Church. Applicants should have a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ, an active involvement in the local church, and a desire to serve with an interdenominational, evangelical faculty and staff. Faculty members must concur with the school's doctrinal statement. The successful applicant must be eligible for faculty rank of either assistant or associate professor. Please mail letters of interest, three academic references, and a curriculum vitae to Scott Manetsch, Chairman of the Department of Church History; Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; 2065 Half Day Road; Deerfield, IL 60015. Application will be received until the position if filled.

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Sophia Institute

NAPS Colleagues may wish to note the Foundation of the ‘Sophia Institute’ in New York, as part of a new endowment to recast Early Church History at Union Theological Seminary, as an endowed Chair in Late Antique and Byzantine Christian History. John McGuckin has launched the Sophia Institute to focus on the history, theology, and wider culture of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. It is currently gathering endowment so as to extend its range and scope; but its intellectual mission is already inaugurated. It aspires to be a significant Advanced Research Institute for the years ahead with an academic mission of publications related to Eastern Christian thought, an annual conference, and a Philanthropic program focused on Eastern Europe. Further details may be found on the attached flyer, or from John McGuckin (jam401@columbia.edu).

Sophia Institute flyer (pdf)

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I'm delighted to announce a new research project, "Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy" under the overall leadership of Professor John Fitzgerald of the University of Miami (john.fitzgerald@miami.edu) and Fika J. van Rensburg of North-West University (Fika.JanseVanRensburg@nwu.ac.za). We are planning to pursue this project in sessions held at both NAPS and the SBL Annual Meeting. Although the project itself is still at a very preliminary planning stage, we conceive the project as an international, interdisciplinary endeavor involving ancient historians, classicists, New Testament scholars, church historians, patristic experts, scholars of Late Antiquity, as well as scholars of the different relevant aspects of present day societies. The main research problem is to delineate the relationship between Early Christianity and the Ancient Economy, demonstrating both similarities and differences in attitudes, approaches to problems, and attempted solutions.

To this end the project has four sub-projects:

* The first sub-project involves a study of the major aspects of the economy in the ancient world, especially the economies of Classical Greece, the Hellenistic world, and the Roman Empire. This is a vast field of study that will involve consideration of numerous issues and questions.

* The second sub-project examines first century Early Christianity both in relationship to the ancient economy and in regard to its own economic aspects. We plan to proceed primarily in chronological fashion, beginning with Jesus in the gospels and then the other writings of the New Testament. Given the international and interdisciplinary scope of the project, however, studies will be both synchronic and diachronic, with some contributions focused on specific texts, authors, and events, and others being more comprehensive (and thematic) in nature.

* The third sub-project examines Early Christianity of the second to the fifth centuries, both in relationship to the ancient economy and in regard to its own economic aspects, proceeding century by century to the time of Justinian. Given the international and interdisciplinary scope of the project, however, studies will be both synchronic and diachronic, with some contributions focused on specific texts, authors, and events, and others being more comprehensive in nature.

* The fourth sub-project: The first three sub-projects lay a partial foundation for the fourth one: "Present day Christianity and the Present day Economy: Implications for South Africa and its Development." This fourth sub-project will be done by those who concentrate their research on the present day world, and we view this fourth sub-project as an endeavor that should be independent of, yet informed by, the results of the first three sub-projects. At the same time, we believe that the results of our research project, though focused on early Christianity, will have important implications for present day countries, specifically for South Africa and its economic development: it will contribute to establishing the Biblical principles and guidelines for the economy of a country, e.g., South Africa.

The steering committee of the project plans to submit the application to register as a program unit with the SBL later this year. We are now taking steps to coordinate a session at our NAPS conference in 2008 in Chicago on the third sub-project outlined above: early Christianity of the second to the fifth centuries, both in relationship to the ancient economy and in regard to its own economic aspects. If you are interested in getting involved in this project, and especially if you are interested in giving a paper at the upcoming NAPS conference, please send an e-mail to Charles Bobertz at cbobertz@csbsju.edu.

Charles Bobertz, Ph.D.
St. John's University and School of Theology

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CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS

The Library of Early Christianity, founded by a challenge grant of the NEH and with the support of many members of the NAPS, solicits new texts/translations of patristic works of all genres and languages. We intend to publish documentary and literary works of early Christianity in affordable, up-to-date, bi-lingual editions accompanied by historical introductions and some critical and explanatory notes. We are especially interested in works that are not easily available elsewhere. For a copy of the editorial guidelines and for any other information, please contact: Dr. J. Petruccione, Editorial Director, the LEC, The Dept. of Greek and Latin, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., 20064. Tel.: 202-319-5216; e-mail: Petruccione@cua.edu.