Objavljeno: 8.1.2025 | Posodobljeno: 12.2.2025
Dear Scholars and Researchers,
We warmly invite you to contribute to and participate in the international symposium, “The Power of Emotions: From Ancient and Judeo-Christian Roots to Their Echo in World and Slovenian Literature, Art, and Culture,” which will take place on 22 and 23 May 2025 at the SAZU Hall (Novi trg 3, Ljubljana).
This symposium represents the central event of the research project J6-50212: The Power of Emotions and the Status of Female Characters in Different Literary Genres of the Old Testament (2023–2026) and the broader research programme P6-0262: Values in Judeo-Christian Sources and Tradition and the Possibilities of Dialogue (2022–2027). It was announced as the primary scholarly meeting in the second year of the project’s implementation.
About the Symposium
Emotions are a profound and universal force shaping every aspect of human existence – from personal choices and societal norms to artistic expressions, intercultural dialogue, and political decision-making. True to its interdisciplinary nature, this symposium gathers researchers from Slovenia and abroad to explore the influence of emotions on literature, art, and culture. The symposium will be organised in person, but active participation via Zoom will be made available for participants from abroad who are unable to attend the symposium in person.
Its preparation is the result of several years of work, which initially started as a bilateral initiative with the University of Vienna. With this event, we are fulfilling our commitment to create a space for in-depth scholarly debate on the key themes of emotions and their role in literature, art and culture in the second year of the project. The symposium explores emotions as a universal phenomenon that transcends time, space and cultures. It explores how ancient and Judeo-Christian traditions have shaped and reshaped the understanding of emotions and embedded them in the historical and cultural foundations of human experience, while highlighting their influence on philosophy, literature, art and social values. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of emotions in shaping social norms, cultural paradigms and artistic expressions, from ancient texts and biblical narratives to contemporary literature, music, visual arts and the performing arts. It also highlights women's empowerment and their often marginalised role throughout history, analysing how literary and artistic works have highlighted or silenced their voices. With themes such as emotions in translation, the status of women and the expression of their emotions in literature, art and religion, and exploring emotions as a bridge between different cultural traditions, the symposium opens up a space for interdisciplinary debate on how emotions transcend linguistic and cultural boundaries and create bridges between traditions. The symposium also explores how Slovenian literature and art, enriched with unique perspectives on emotions, contribute to international cultural dialogue, interweaving local stories with global themes. It examines the linguistic specificities of emotions in the Slovene language and the impact of social upheavals on the expression of collective emotions. With its interdisciplinary approach, the symposium will aim to contribute to the understanding of emotions as a key element of human existence and to strengthen research excellence in Slovenia and beyond.
Proposed Thematic Strands
We welcome contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:
• From Passion to Compassion: How ancient philosophy and the Judaeo-Christian tradition shape the understanding of emotions.
• Emotions through the Eyes of World Religions: From Islamic reverence to Buddhist compassion.
• Prayer, Meditation, and Rituals: Emotion as a tool for spiritual transformation.
• Touching the Divine: Emotions at the heart of religious experience.
• Emotions in Translations of the Bible and Ancient Sources: Understanding emotions through the history of translation.
• Emotions and Female Characters: The position of women and their emotions in spiritual literature, art, and culture.
• Emotions in Slovenian and World Literature: The expression of emotions in different works of art and literary genres.
• Linking Emotions and Values: Universal and culturally specific perspectives.
• Emotions in the Slovene Language: Linguistic peculiarities and expressive dimensions.
• Emotions in Visual and Performing Arts: Visual, musical, and theatrical representations of emotions.
• Emotions at Historical, Social, and Cultural Turning Points: From antiquity to modernity.
• Emotions as a Theoretical Challenge: Approaches from literary studies, linguistics, art history, music, and ballet.
Submission Guidelines
We invite interested participants to submit:
- Title of the paper (in Slovene and English).
- Author's name and surname.
- Name and address of the institution at which the author works.
- Author’s email address (or official institutional email).
- Abstract (300–500 words, in Slovene and English).
- A short curriculum vitae and academic presentation of the author (approx. 10 lines or maximum 1200 characters with spaces) in Slovene and English.
- How to participate – whether you will participate in person or via Zoom (The Zoom option is primarily intended for participants from abroad).
Please send your submissions by 1 March 2025 to:
- Liza Primc: liza.primc@teof.uni-lj.si
- Aljaž Krajnc: aljaz.krajnc@teof.uni-lj.si
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 15 March 2025.
Selected contributions will be included in a scientific publication following the symposium.
We eagerly look forward to welcoming you to this enriching and interdisciplinary gathering. Your participation will greatly enrich this symposium.
Symposium Organizing Committee
Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana (TEOF UL)
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU)
ZRC SAZU, Institute for Cultural History
ZRS Koper
Programme and Project Leader:
Prof. Dr. Irena Avsenik Nabergoj
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Theology, and ZRC SAZU, Institute for Cultural History
Project Coordinators:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gregor Pobežin (ZRC SAZU)
Prof. Dr. Nadja Furlan Štante (ZRC Koper)
For more details, visit:
