The student will acquire deepened and detailed knowledge of remarkable questions of the history of the Christianity in different epochs, analyzing sources of different typology and facing the bibliographical debate. The student will also acquire scientific tools of search, the necessary methodological principles for reading the sources, critical ability in collecting and interpreting the data, so that to express and to communicate in a language scientifically correct autonomous judgments on the analyzed matters.
Curriculum
teacher profile teaching materials
Women and Female Saints (2nd-6th Centuries)
This module is devoted to the formation of models of female sanctity in early and late antique Christianity (2nd-6th centuries), a period during which the public affirmation of Christianity fostered the emergence of new forms of female religious agency. Through the analysis of literary sources written predominantly by men, the course will examine the strategies through which women's holiness was narrated, legitimized, and presented as an exemplary model.
Particular attention will be devoted to:
-female martyrs of the first centuries, such as Thecla, Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas;
-Macrina the Younger, portrayed as an ascetic, philosopher, and spiritual guide in the first biography devoted to a woman, written by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the context of fourth-century Cappadocia;
- Gorgonia, an example of sanctity lived within the family and domestic sphere;
- Monica, whose portrayal in Augustine's Confessions offers a reflection on spiritual motherhood and conversion;
- Paula, Marcella, and Melania the Younger, leading figures of the Roman ascetic circles associated with Jerome and Rufinus, and representatives of new forms of biblical study, cultural patronage, and pilgrimage;
- the Desert Mothers, whose sayings and stories became exemplary models within the monastic tradition.
The study of these figures will provide an opportunity to explore themes such as consecrated virginity, asceticism, female spiritual authority, family relationships, the construction of memory, Christian aristocratic culture, and the role of women in the processes of Christianization in the ancient and late antique worlds.
Women and Female Saints (19th-21st Centuries)
This course examines the redefinition of models of female sanctity between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, within a context marked by secularization, the emergence of mass society, transformations in women's roles, and the major political crises of the twentieth century. Through autobiographical sources, ecclesiastical documentation, and historical scholarship, the course will explore the ways in which female sanctity has been reinterpreted in the contemporary world, as well as the relationship between religious experience, social engagement, and public witness.
G. P. Maggioni., La santità in Occidente. Introduzione all’agiografia medievale, Carocci, Roma 2021 selected chapters)
Further bibliography willl be provided during the course
Programme
Course Title 2026-2027Women and Female Saints (2nd-6th Centuries)
This module is devoted to the formation of models of female sanctity in early and late antique Christianity (2nd-6th centuries), a period during which the public affirmation of Christianity fostered the emergence of new forms of female religious agency. Through the analysis of literary sources written predominantly by men, the course will examine the strategies through which women's holiness was narrated, legitimized, and presented as an exemplary model.
Particular attention will be devoted to:
-female martyrs of the first centuries, such as Thecla, Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas;
-Macrina the Younger, portrayed as an ascetic, philosopher, and spiritual guide in the first biography devoted to a woman, written by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the context of fourth-century Cappadocia;
- Gorgonia, an example of sanctity lived within the family and domestic sphere;
- Monica, whose portrayal in Augustine's Confessions offers a reflection on spiritual motherhood and conversion;
- Paula, Marcella, and Melania the Younger, leading figures of the Roman ascetic circles associated with Jerome and Rufinus, and representatives of new forms of biblical study, cultural patronage, and pilgrimage;
- the Desert Mothers, whose sayings and stories became exemplary models within the monastic tradition.
The study of these figures will provide an opportunity to explore themes such as consecrated virginity, asceticism, female spiritual authority, family relationships, the construction of memory, Christian aristocratic culture, and the role of women in the processes of Christianization in the ancient and late antique worlds.
Women and Female Saints (19th-21st Centuries)
This course examines the redefinition of models of female sanctity between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, within a context marked by secularization, the emergence of mass society, transformations in women's roles, and the major political crises of the twentieth century. Through autobiographical sources, ecclesiastical documentation, and historical scholarship, the course will explore the ways in which female sanctity has been reinterpreted in the contemporary world, as well as the relationship between religious experience, social engagement, and public witness.
Prerequisiti
Prerequisites: Those who have not previously taken a course in the History of Christianity will receive supplementary materialsCore Documentation
G. P. Maggioni., La santità in Occidente. Introduzione all’agiografia medievale, Carocci, Roma 2021 selected chapters)
Further bibliography willl be provided during the course
Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended. Students who are unable to attend classes are required to contact the instructor in order to obtain the course materials.Type of evaluation
Assessment will consist of an oral examination based on the required bibliography and the texts discussed during the course. In addition, students will be evaluated on an in-class presentation on a topic related to the course theme and on a written paper developing that topic, prepared according to the guidelines that will be explained during the lectures. teacher profile teaching materials
Women and Female Saints (2nd-6th Centuries)
This module is devoted to the formation of models of female sanctity in early and late antique Christianity (2nd-6th centuries), a period during which the public affirmation of Christianity fostered the emergence of new forms of female religious agency. Through the analysis of literary sources written predominantly by men, the course will examine the strategies through which women's holiness was narrated, legitimized, and presented as an exemplary model.
Particular attention will be devoted to:
-female martyrs of the first centuries, such as Thecla, Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas;
-Macrina the Younger, portrayed as an ascetic, philosopher, and spiritual guide in the first biography devoted to a woman, written by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the context of fourth-century Cappadocia;
- Gorgonia, an example of sanctity lived within the family and domestic sphere;
- Monica, whose portrayal in Augustine's Confessions offers a reflection on spiritual motherhood and conversion;
- Paula, Marcella, and Melania the Younger, leading figures of the Roman ascetic circles associated with Jerome and Rufinus, and representatives of new forms of biblical study, cultural patronage, and pilgrimage;
- the Desert Mothers, whose sayings and stories became exemplary models within the monastic tradition.
The study of these figures will provide an opportunity to explore themes such as consecrated virginity, asceticism, female spiritual authority, family relationships, the construction of memory, Christian aristocratic culture, and the role of women in the processes of Christianization in the ancient and late antique worlds.
Women and Female Saints (19th-21st Centuries)
This course examines the redefinition of models of female sanctity between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, within a context marked by secularization, the emergence of mass society, transformations in women's roles, and the major political crises of the twentieth century. Through autobiographical sources, ecclesiastical documentation, and historical scholarship, the course will explore the ways in which female sanctity has been reinterpreted in the contemporary world, as well as the relationship between religious experience, social engagement, and public witness.
G. P. Maggioni., La santità in Occidente. Introduzione all’agiografia medievale, Carocci, Roma 2021 selected chapters)
Further bibliography willl be provided during the course
Programme
Course Title 2026-2027Women and Female Saints (2nd-6th Centuries)
This module is devoted to the formation of models of female sanctity in early and late antique Christianity (2nd-6th centuries), a period during which the public affirmation of Christianity fostered the emergence of new forms of female religious agency. Through the analysis of literary sources written predominantly by men, the course will examine the strategies through which women's holiness was narrated, legitimized, and presented as an exemplary model.
Particular attention will be devoted to:
-female martyrs of the first centuries, such as Thecla, Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas;
-Macrina the Younger, portrayed as an ascetic, philosopher, and spiritual guide in the first biography devoted to a woman, written by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the context of fourth-century Cappadocia;
- Gorgonia, an example of sanctity lived within the family and domestic sphere;
- Monica, whose portrayal in Augustine's Confessions offers a reflection on spiritual motherhood and conversion;
- Paula, Marcella, and Melania the Younger, leading figures of the Roman ascetic circles associated with Jerome and Rufinus, and representatives of new forms of biblical study, cultural patronage, and pilgrimage;
- the Desert Mothers, whose sayings and stories became exemplary models within the monastic tradition.
The study of these figures will provide an opportunity to explore themes such as consecrated virginity, asceticism, female spiritual authority, family relationships, the construction of memory, Christian aristocratic culture, and the role of women in the processes of Christianization in the ancient and late antique worlds.
Women and Female Saints (19th-21st Centuries)
This course examines the redefinition of models of female sanctity between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, within a context marked by secularization, the emergence of mass society, transformations in women's roles, and the major political crises of the twentieth century. Through autobiographical sources, ecclesiastical documentation, and historical scholarship, the course will explore the ways in which female sanctity has been reinterpreted in the contemporary world, as well as the relationship between religious experience, social engagement, and public witness.
Prerequisiti
Prerequisites: Those who have not previously taken a course in the History of Christianity will receive supplementary materialsCore Documentation
G. P. Maggioni., La santità in Occidente. Introduzione all’agiografia medievale, Carocci, Roma 2021 selected chapters)
Further bibliography willl be provided during the course
Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended. Students who are unable to attend classes are required to contact the instructor in order to obtain the course materials.Type of evaluation
Assessment will consist of an oral examination based on the required bibliography and the texts discussed during the course. In addition, students will be evaluated on an in-class presentation on a topic related to the course theme and on a written paper developing that topic, prepared according to the guidelines that will be explained during the lectures. teacher profile teaching materials
Women and Female Saints (2nd-6th Centuries)
This module is devoted to the formation of models of female sanctity in early and late antique Christianity (2nd-6th centuries), a period during which the public affirmation of Christianity fostered the emergence of new forms of female religious agency. Through the analysis of literary sources written predominantly by men, the course will examine the strategies through which women's holiness was narrated, legitimized, and presented as an exemplary model.
Particular attention will be devoted to:
-female martyrs of the first centuries, such as Thecla, Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas;
-Macrina the Younger, portrayed as an ascetic, philosopher, and spiritual guide in the first biography devoted to a woman, written by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the context of fourth-century Cappadocia;
- Gorgonia, an example of sanctity lived within the family and domestic sphere;
- Monica, whose portrayal in Augustine's Confessions offers a reflection on spiritual motherhood and conversion;
- Paula, Marcella, and Melania the Younger, leading figures of the Roman ascetic circles associated with Jerome and Rufinus, and representatives of new forms of biblical study, cultural patronage, and pilgrimage;
- the Desert Mothers, whose sayings and stories became exemplary models within the monastic tradition.
The study of these figures will provide an opportunity to explore themes such as consecrated virginity, asceticism, female spiritual authority, family relationships, the construction of memory, Christian aristocratic culture, and the role of women in the processes of Christianization in the ancient and late antique worlds.
Women and Female Saints (19th-21st Centuries)
This course examines the redefinition of models of female sanctity between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, within a context marked by secularization, the emergence of mass society, transformations in women's roles, and the major political crises of the twentieth century. Through autobiographical sources, ecclesiastical documentation, and historical scholarship, the course will explore the ways in which female sanctity has been reinterpreted in the contemporary world, as well as the relationship between religious experience, social engagement, and public witness.
G. P. Maggioni., La santità in Occidente. Introduzione all’agiografia medievale, Carocci, Roma 2021 selected chapters)
Further bibliography willl be provided during the course
Programme
Course Title 2026-2027Women and Female Saints (2nd-6th Centuries)
This module is devoted to the formation of models of female sanctity in early and late antique Christianity (2nd-6th centuries), a period during which the public affirmation of Christianity fostered the emergence of new forms of female religious agency. Through the analysis of literary sources written predominantly by men, the course will examine the strategies through which women's holiness was narrated, legitimized, and presented as an exemplary model.
Particular attention will be devoted to:
-female martyrs of the first centuries, such as Thecla, Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas;
-Macrina the Younger, portrayed as an ascetic, philosopher, and spiritual guide in the first biography devoted to a woman, written by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the context of fourth-century Cappadocia;
- Gorgonia, an example of sanctity lived within the family and domestic sphere;
- Monica, whose portrayal in Augustine's Confessions offers a reflection on spiritual motherhood and conversion;
- Paula, Marcella, and Melania the Younger, leading figures of the Roman ascetic circles associated with Jerome and Rufinus, and representatives of new forms of biblical study, cultural patronage, and pilgrimage;
- the Desert Mothers, whose sayings and stories became exemplary models within the monastic tradition.
The study of these figures will provide an opportunity to explore themes such as consecrated virginity, asceticism, female spiritual authority, family relationships, the construction of memory, Christian aristocratic culture, and the role of women in the processes of Christianization in the ancient and late antique worlds.
Women and Female Saints (19th-21st Centuries)
This course examines the redefinition of models of female sanctity between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, within a context marked by secularization, the emergence of mass society, transformations in women's roles, and the major political crises of the twentieth century. Through autobiographical sources, ecclesiastical documentation, and historical scholarship, the course will explore the ways in which female sanctity has been reinterpreted in the contemporary world, as well as the relationship between religious experience, social engagement, and public witness.
Prerequisiti
Prerequisites: Those who have not previously taken a course in the History of Christianity will receive supplementary materialsCore Documentation
G. P. Maggioni., La santità in Occidente. Introduzione all’agiografia medievale, Carocci, Roma 2021 selected chapters)
Further bibliography willl be provided during the course
Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended. Students who are unable to attend classes are required to contact the instructor in order to obtain the course materials.Type of evaluation
Assessment will consist of an oral examination based on the required bibliography and the texts discussed during the course. In addition, students will be evaluated on an in-class presentation on a topic related to the course theme and on a written paper developing that topic, prepared according to the guidelines that will be explained during the lectures.