The Department of Religious Studies at Brown University announces a call for papers for a 2006 graduate student conference: “How Intense is the Zeal”: Creating Religious Orthodoxy in the Ancient Mediterranean and Near East. We aim to bring presenters into conversation with each other and with alumni of our Ph.D. program.

Papers should focus on the construction and function of orthodoxy within the religious systems of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East; emphasis will be placed on considerations of orthodoxy within Israelite religion and ancient Judaism. We especially welcome work that offers comparative, cross-disciplinary, or theoretical perspectives. Submissions may focus on the rhetorical, sociological or historical constructions and functions of orthodoxy and may consider any of the following questions:

• Is the development of orthodoxy tied to a specific historical period?
• What conditions, if any, must exist for orthodoxy to develop?
• How did orthodoxy function as a discursive category in antiquity, or as a modern scholarly category of analysis?
• Did orthodoxies in antiquity develop in dialogue and competition with each other? These are meant only as examples; we encourage submissions on all aspects of this topic.

Graduate students at any stage of study are eligible to participate. To be considered for the conference, please submit a 300-word abstract that clearly conveys the central argument of your paper to Gail_Armstrong@brown.edu by February 3rd, 2006. Please include full contact information with your submission. Final papers should have a presentation time of 20 minutes.