V Seminario Internacional JIMENA. Spiritual Crossroads: Between Dogma and Heresy in the Medieval Mediterranean
La Asociación JIMENA, se complace en presentar el «V Seminario Internacional JIMENA Spiritual Crossroads: Between Dogma and Heresy in the Medieval Mediterranean». El seminario, organizado junto con la Society for the Medieval Mediterranean y premiado con el Simon Barton Postgraduate & ECR Conference Prize, se celebrará en el Salón de Actos de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid los días 10 y 11 de febrero de 2026. El seminario se desarrollará de manera presencial. La asistencia online será exclusiva para los socios de la Asociación JIMENA.
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Throughout the Middle Ages, religion and belief in the divine were not only sources of political legitimacy, moral guidance and social cohesion, but also drivers and reflections of significant ruptures, tensions and transformations within medieval communities. This was true both of Christendom and Dar al-Islam, as well as Judaism. In the medieval Mediterranean, a space of intense cultural and religious exchange, these dynamics gained unique complexity and sophistication. The search for the divine, otherworldly experience and ritual practice not only shaped the spiritual landscape of the time, but also offered spaces for renegotiation and resistance at the margins of the dominant paradigm.
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Monasticism as a means of salvation, heresies challenging official doctrine, and devotional practices such as pilgrimage or penance demonstrate the diverse ways in which medieval spirituality responded to the needs and aspirations of individuals. In the Mediterranean, the interactions between Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities created opportunities for cultural exchange, but also tensions that significantly shaped the region's religious and cultural trajectory. In this regard, while the calls for holy war aimed at reclaiming the Holy Land and the constant incursions of the Christian Iberian kingdoms into al-Andalus, courts such as those of the Normans in Sicily and Alfonso VIII of Castile embraced the blending of Islamic and Christian cultural and artistic traditions
In the same vein, phenomena such as ascetic movements, mystical ecstasy, and the emergence of the mendicant orders were expressions of a context in which the sacred was experienced individually, yet simultaneously confined within the boundaries of orthodoxy. Similar tensions existed in the Islamic world, where movements like the Almoravid and Almohad impacted the political structure. At the same time, tensions between orthodox and heterodox beliefs gave rise to dynamics of exclusion, persecution, and martyrdom, such as those experienced by the Cathars, Waldensians, Jews, Massarrians, and Mozarabs. Furthermore, these tensions spurred spiritual and theological renewals, driven by figures such as Peter Abelard, Averroes, and Ibn Arabi.
Moreover, the impact of religiosity was not strictly confined to the liturgical sphere; it also extended into everyday life, shaping agricultural cycles, communal celebrations and, ultimately, social structures. The veneration of local saints and miraculous relics, the growing focus on apocalyptic narratives, and the use of protective symbols such as the khamsa or the Christian cross not only expressed collective faith, but also offered models of identity and comfort in a world marked by uncertainty and transience. These expressions reflect both the unity and diversity of the medieval Mediterranean, where the sacred became a space of encounter and tension between religious and cultural traditions.
Desarrollo de la actividad
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The «V Seminario Internacional JIMENA Spiritual Crossroads: Between Dogma and Heresy in the Medieval Mediterranean»,
will be held in the Salón de Actos of the Facultad de Geografía e Historia - UCM (C/ Profesor Aranguren s/n, Building B, 28040 Madrid), the 10th and 11th February 2026.
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Attendance at the conference will be in person, with an online option available exclusively to members of the Association. Attendance will be free of cost and subject to the room capacity (JIMENA members will be given priority in the event that capacity is reached).
In order to attend the conference, it is mandatory to register using the Google form provided for this purpose accessed below. No other registration method will be considered valid by the organising committee. The registration period for attendees will close on 9 February at 3:00pm. (CET).
To obtain a certificate of attendance or be able to apply for the award of 1 ECTS credit (requested for UCM students), attendance at a minimum of 8 of the 11 sessions comprising the seminar is required.
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For any queries or further information, please contact us at asociacionjimena@gmail.com.
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El «V Seminario Internacional JIMENA Spiritual Crossroads: Between Dogma and Heresy in the Medieval Mediterranean», se celebrará en el Salón de Actos de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (C/ Profesor Aranguren s/n, edificio B, 28040, Madrid), los días 10 y 11 de febrero de 2026.
La asistencia al congreso es presencial, con posibilidad online para los socios de la Asociación. La asistencia será gratuita y hasta completar aforo (teniendo preferencia los socios de JIMENA en caso de aforo completo). ā
Para asistir al congreso es obligatoria la inscripción a través del Formulario de Google dispuesto para dicho fin y que encontrará a continuación. Ninguna otra vía de inscripción será considerada válida por la organización. El plazo de inscripción para los asistentes terminará el día 9 de febrero a las 15.00h (horario España).ā
Para obtener el certificado de asistencia u optar al examen para la obtención del 1 crédito ECTS (solicitado para alumnos UCM), es necesaria la asistencia a un mínimo de 8 de las 11 sesiones que integran el seminario.āāā
Para cualquier duda o cuestión, diríjanse a la dirección de correo: asociacionjimena@gmail.com
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Raffle Bases / Bases del sorteo
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During the course of the event, a raffle will be held for a copy of Huesos de oro: Reliquias y religiosidad en el mundo medieval, edited by Francisco de Paula Cañas Gálvez, Ana Escribano López, and Sara Sotillo Torquemada, generously donated by the JIMENA Association for the purposes of this raffle.
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Once the registration period has closed, the organisers will download the list of in-person registered attendants in order to carry out the draw at the end of the seminar.
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Attendance to at 8 least out of 11 sessions is compulsory in order to enter the draw.
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The draw will take place publicly in the seminar venue. Three eligible names will be selected: one winner and two reserves.
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If the winner is not present in the room, the prize will be awarded to the first reserve.
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If neither of the two reserves is present, the draw will be repeated under the same conditions. Under no circumstances will the book be given out to a participant who is not present in the venue.
Durante el desarrollo de la actividad se llevará a cabo el sorteo de un ejemplar de Huesos de oro: Reliquias y religiosidad en el mundo medieval, coordinado por Francisco de Paula Cañas Gálvez, Ana Escribano López y Sara Sotillo Torquemada y donado por la Asociación JIMENA para la celebración del sorteo.
Para optar al sorteo del libro será necesaria la inscripción presencial previa en el congreso a través del Formulario Google dispuesto para ello (ninguna otra vía de inscripción será considerada válida por la organización).
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Una vez finalizado el plazo de inscripción, la organización se descargará los datos de los inscritos presenciales para llevar a cabo el sorteo al final del congreso.
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Es requisito indispensable asistir al mínimo de sesiones obligatorias (8 de 11) de la actividad para entrar a sorteo.
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El sorteo se hará públicamente en el Salón de Actos y se elegirán tres nombres, un ganador y dos suplentes, de tal modo que si el primero no está presente en la sala, el premio pasará al siguiente.
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Si los dos suplentes tampoco estuvieran en la sala, se repetiría el sorteo con las mismas bases. Bajo ninguna circunstancia se guardará el libro a un inscrito premiado que no esté presente en la sala.
Programa / Programme
10 DE FEBRERO / FEBRUARY 10th
9.00-9.15 Recepción de asistentes/Seminar Registration
9.15-9.30 Inauguración/Opening remarks
Keynote Lecture I
9.30-10.15 Carlos de Ayala Martínez (UAM) Apocalíptica y confrontación con el islam: el Tultusceptru y los fragmentos rotenses del Pseudo-Metodio (s. IX-X)
10.15-10.40 Debate/Discussion10.40-10.50 Descanso/Break
Session 1. Literacy and Religion, Popular and Scholarly Approaches
10.50-11.20 Maribel Fierro (CSIC-ILC) Scholars and 'Heresy' in the Medieval Islamic West
11.20-11.40 Catalina Tressler (Universidad de los Andes) Literacy and Written Culture in the Waldensian Heresy (12th–13th Centuries)
11.40-12.10 Carlos Martínez Carrasco (UCO) Tradiciones apocalípticas en el maldito siglo VII: de la sublevación de Focas a la expansión del islam
12.10-12.40 Debate/Discussion
12.40-12.50 Descanso/Break
Session 2. Shaping Female Sanctity in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages
12.50-13.10 Thaís de Almeida Rodrigues (UNESP) La santificación de las mujeres constantinianas entre la Antigüedad Tardía y el imaginario medieval
13.10-13.30 Eylül ÇetinbaÅ (Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations - Bilkent University) Writing the Sacred Feminine: Hagiography, Cultural Memory, and the Making of Sanctity in the Medieval Mediterranean
13.30-13.50 Debate/Discussion
13.50-16.00 Descanso comida/Seminar Lunch Break
Session 3. Architectonic Configurations of Heresy, Heterodoxy and Dogma
16.00-16.20 María Orduña Cuevas (UAM) Monofisismo, santoral y arquitectura: veneración de santos e iglesias centralizadas en el Oriente medieval
16.20-16.40 Valentina Schiavon (Pontifical University Antonianum) A xylòtroulos for Santa Fosca in Torcello and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. A new hypothesis
16.40-17.00 María Gángara Jiménez (UCM) Espacio, memoria y poder: el simbolismo de las capillas episcopales en la catedral de Burgos
17.00-17.30 Debate/Discussion
17.30-17.45 Descanso/Break
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Session 4. Perspectives on Medieval Hagiographic Traditions
17.45-18.05 Nana Mrevlishvili, Tinatin Jikurashvili and Sophio Guliashvili (The University of Georgia) Between Translation and Transformation: "The Life of Theodora of Alexandria" in Old Georgian Hagiography
18.05-18.25 Juan Manuel Carmona Pérez (UAM) Tensions between Official Doctrine and Folk Religion in 13th-Century Castile: The Miracles of Santo Domingo de Silos for the Redemption of Captives as a Case Study
18.25-18.45 Debate/Discussion
11 DE FEBRERO /FEBRUARY 11th
Session 5. Circulation of Artifacts and Images between Byzantium and the Latin West
9.00-9.30 Lucrezia Sozzè (Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione IULM) Byzantine Artifacts in Late Medieval Italy: Display and Liturgical Practices
9.30-9.50 Georgii Titov (Moscow State University) The Visual Transmission of Early Monastic Exempla in the art of Italian Trecento and the Post-Byzantine world
9.50-10.10 Debate/Discussion
10.10-10.20 Descanso/Break
Session 6. Byzantium and the Latin West: Religious Encounters and Perceptions
10.20-10.50 Savvas Neocleous (Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth) Spiritual Crossroads: Latin Perceptions of Greek Christianity in the Long Twelfth Century
10.50-11.10 Pablo Méndez Gallardo (UCM) The "Eastern Question" in Castile: Faith, Power and Perception from Romania to Iberia
11.10-11.30 Debate/Discussion
11.30-11.45 Descanso/Break
Session 7. Circulation Networks in the Medieval Mediterranean and Beyond
11.45-12.05 Pablo Rodríguez Sánchez (Trinity College Dublin) “Hominem […] crine deformen”: Saint Martin of Tours´ “hairstyle” and its value as evidence for the saint´s role between the Mediterranean and the Insular World
12.05-12.25 Robin Gatel (Trinity College Dublin) A discreet presence? The circulation of Saint Augustine’s De Haeresibus in Italy during the eleventh and twelfth centuries
12.25-12.50 Zeynep Ece Bakala (University of Lincoln) “Por fazer romaria pug’em meu coraçom”: Women’s Pilgrimage and Sociocultural Encounters in Thirteenth-Century Iberia
12.50-13.20 Debate/Discussion
13.20-16.00 Descanso comida/Seminar Lunch Break
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Session 8. Images, Doctrine and Heterodoxy through the Senses
16.00-16.20 Manuel Hernández Ortega (UCM) La pervivencia del rito sacrificial entre las comunidades cristianas tardoantiguas (ss. III-VI): un aporte desde la imagen y la cultura visual
16.20-16.40 Rebeca Rodríguez Ginés (UAM) Taumaturgia y fe. Un preludio de la virtud del tacto en las pinturas murales de las catacumbas
16.40-17.00 Jeffrey P. A. Berland (Universität Tübingen) The Proclamation of an Iconoclast Orthodoxy: Envisioning Christ at the Chalkê (ca. 815)
17.00-17.30 Debate/Discussion
17.30-17.40 Descanso/Break
Session 9. Constructing Sacred Spaces in the Medieval Mediterranean
17.40-18.00 Anastasia Liakhovich (University of Warsaw) From Topos to Theophany: Pilgrimage, Vision, and the Making of Sacred Space in Byzantine and Medieval Armenian Hagiography
18.00-18.20 Gözde Demir Merzi (Istanbul Technical University) New Evidence from Binbirkilise–DeÄle: The ‘Sacred Rock’ Marked with Crosses, Open-Air Worship, and the Shaping of a Byzantine Pilgrimage Landscape
18.20-18.40 Debate/Discussion
18.40-18.50 Descanso/Break
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Keynote lecture II
18.50-19.35 John H. Arnold (University of Cambridge) The Social Dynamics of Priests and Laity in Southern France, between c. 1000 and c. 1300
19.35-19.55 Debate/Discussion
19.55-20.10 Clausura, sorteo de libro y examen para la obtención del crédito/Closing remarks
Call For Papers
*Fase finalizada el 31 de octubre / Phase ended on 31 October
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Both postgraduate students and Early Career Researchers (pre or post-doctoral scholars) are invited to submit paper proposals. Papers that examine the various implications around spirituality, heterodoxy and orthodoxy will be considered. The broad themes of the Seminar, which will cover any period between Late Antiquity and Early Modern Ages, encompassing all the geographical backgrounds and religious contexts within the Mediterranean basin.
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Some of the key topics we welcome include:
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Heresy and Heterodoxy: Dynamics of Exclusion and Resistance
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Monasticism, Pilgrimages, and the Cult of Relics
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Folk Religion, Spirituality, Superstition, and their Expressions
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Mystic and Spiritual Experiences: Literature, Theology, and Religious Practice
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Religious Imagery and Architecture: Representations of the Sacred and their Symbolism
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Sanctity and Christian Exemplary Lives: Hagiography and its Cultural Impact
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Apocalyptic Thought and Eschatology: Visions of the End in Medieval Society
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Proposals must be original and submitted by the deadline of October 31, 2025 (inclusive), in English, Spanish or Portuguese. All proposals must be submitted through the designated Google Form (no other submission method will be considered valid by the organization).
In the days following the end of the CFP, the proposals will be sent to the conference's Scientific Committee, and the organization will then contact the selected participants within an estimated period of 20 days. Once the proposal is accepted, participation will consist of a 20-minute presentation, which may be accompanied by audiovisual media. Even though the event will be of blended nature (online and in person) we encourage our participants to join us in Madrid.
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In line with the usual policy and procedures of the JIMENA Association, the participation fee for accepted contributors will be €30, reduced to €12 for members of the Asociación JIMENA (further information available under «hazte socio» ). Those whose proposals have been accepted will receive instructions on how to transfer the participation fee to the JIMENA Association's bank account. This payment is intended solely to cover the costs of the conference and to support the continued funding of our activities.ā
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Así, movidos por el espíritu de crear un marco académico y de debate, animamos a todos aquellos interesados de Máster en adelante a presentar propuestas de comunicación que contribuyan al objetivo propuesto desde las más diversas áreas: sea la Historia, Historia del Arte, Arqueología, Filología, Filosofía, Musicología, etc. Con el objetivo de contar con especialistas ya consolidados, y con la participación de investigadores y estudiantes que estén desarrollando su formación. Se considerarán las ponencias que examinen las diversas implicaciones en torno a la espiritualidad, la heterodoxia y la ortodoxia. Los temas generales del Seminario abarcarán cualquier período entre la Antigüedad Tardía y las Edades Moderna Tempranas, incluyendo todos los contextos geográficos y religiosos dentro de la cuenca mediterránea.
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Algunas de las líneas temáticas son:
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Herejía y heterodoxia: dinámicas de exclusión y resistencia
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Monacato, peregrinaciones y el culto a las reliquias
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Religiosidad popular, espiritualidad, superstición y sus expresiones
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Experiencias místicas y espirituales: literatura, teología y práctica religiosa
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Imaginería religiosa y arquitectura: representaciones de lo sagrado y su simbolismo
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Santidad y vidas ejemplares cristianas: la hagiografía y su impacto cultural
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Pensamiento apocalíptico y escatología: visiones del fin en la sociedad medieval
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Las propuestas deberán ser inéditas y enviadas al Formulario Google (ninguna otra vía será considerada válida por la organización) con fecha límite de 31 de octubre (incluido), en castellano y lenguas cooficiales, portugués e inglés.
En los días sucesivos al cierre del CFP, las propuestas serán evaluadas por un Comité Científico, siendo comunicados los resultados a los candidatos que presenten propuestas su aceptación total, parcial o el rechazo de estas en un plazo de estimado de veinte días. Una vez aceptada la propuesta, los comunicantes dispondrán de un total de 20 minutos para pronunciar sus conferencias y estas podrán acompañarse de medios audiovisuales.
Siguiendo con la política y funcionamiento habitual de la Asociación JIMENA, el coste de la participación para aquellos aceptados será de 30€, reducido a 12€ para socios de la Asociación JIMENA [información en «hazte socio». Aquellos cuya propuesta haya sido aceptada recibirán las instrucciones para abonar la tasa de participación a la cuenta bancaria de la Asociación JIMENA. Este pago tiene como única finalidad cubrir los gastos del congreso y poder seguir financiando nuestras actividades.
Comité Científico y Organizador
āāāOrganiza:āā Asociación JIMENA
Colabora: Society for the Medieval Mediterranean.
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