Call for Papers: Divine Anthropomorphism in Ancient Cultures
University of Edinburgh, 3-5 June 2026
We would like to invite proposals for papers on the subject of divine anthropomorphism as a cultural, religious and literary phenomenon in cultures of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East up to the Roman period. We are interested in all ways in which the gods are (or are not) seen as being like human beings, for instance in their emotions, morality, physical attributes, and forms of behaviour.
We would particularly like to encourage proposals that engage with divine anthropomorphism in theoretical or comparative terms, with regard to the nature of the phenomenon in general, as well as to its manifestations in a particular cultural context. We will aim to achieve a balance of contributions relating to different cultures, or employing different methods and types of evidence. We would be interested in hearing from scholars and graduate students working in any relevant discipline, such as classicists, Assyriologists, Egyptologists, Biblical scholars, and scholars of religion.
The conference will include lectures by the following confirmed keynote speakers: Armin Geertz (Aarhus), Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge (Collège de France), and Bernardo Ballesteros Petrella (Vienna).
Proposals for papers of 20-25 minutes should be sent to both organisers, Theodore Hill (theodore.hill@ed.ac.uk) and Alexandre Johnston (alexandre.johnston@classics.ox.ac.uk), by the end of the day on Friday 9 January 2026. Please include an abstract of up to 250 words, together with a biography of up to 100 words.