Cultural variety in the Christian Orient: Christian Arabic Language and Literature in the Middle Ages

Project Information

COCALLMA

Grant agreement ID: 220782

Project closed

Start date 20 June 2008

End date 19 June 2010

Funded under

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Total cost € 148 556,70

EU contribution € 148 556,70

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
Belgium

Objective

This project aims to suggest the study of a set of Arabic texts written by a Palestinian Christian Bishop who lived in a period of persecutions against Christians under the Fatimid (Shia) Islamic caliphate (IX-XI centuries AD). This type of texts is of a major historical relevance, dealing as they are with relations between Christians and Muslims, which at times are linked to political and social tensions even today, in Europe as well as in the Muslim World it self. Our enquiry will address problems relating to linguistic and religious features, as well as questions of cultural interest. The language used is known as Middle Arabic, a kind of written Arabic that we find in medieval manuscripts as well as in present day linguistic settings. For the cultural aspects we will study the inter-textual relations to be found in patristic and classical culture, Christian Arabic Literature and Islamic sources. Within this framework the Christian Orient and its literatures are rarely taken into consideration but definitely deserve to be studied and considered in the light of the present day historical-political conjuncture. To achieve the objectives of the proposal, an extended scholarly sojourn at the Université Catholique de Louvain is foreseen, allowing me to further my studies of Syriac, as well as several missions to the Middle East for the purpose of cataloguing and analyzing new manuscript sources. The study of Oriental Christianity represents an outstandingly promising field of research since it allows us to understand the fundamental link for the transmission of knowledge from East to West as well as to reconsider the centuries-old cohabitation between Christians and Muslims in the Arab East, the correct knowledge of which is far from irrelevant for a proper understanding of present political and religious challenges in Europe.

Fields of science

• humanities › languages and literature › general language studies
• humanities › history and archaeology › history › medieval history
• humanities › philosophy, ethics and religion › religions › islam
• humanities › philosophy, ethics and religion › religions › christianity
• humanities › languages and literature › literature studies › history of literature

Keywords

• Arabic Philology
• Christian Orient
• Humanities
• Middle Arabic texts
• Muslim-Christian relationships

Programme(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• PEOPLE-2007-2-1.IEF - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development"

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN

• EU contribution: € 148 556,70
• Address: PLACE DE L UNIVERSITE 1 ; 1348 Louvain La Neuve ; Belgium
• Region: Région wallonne › Prov. Brabant Wallon › Arr. Nivelles
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Administrative Contact: Johannes Den Heijer (Prof.)
• Total cost: No data