Due to the influence of the Greek-speaking immigrants who flocked into the city of Rome over the course of the 7th and 8th centuries, there was an explosion of interest in the cults of saints and their relics, one manifestation of which was the efflorescence in the depiction of saints' lives on the church walls. Five of these cycles survive--albeit in various stages of preservation--and portray the martyrdoms of Quiricus and Julitta, Erasmus, the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Callixtus, and Paul and Anastasius. As the largest surviving body of early hagiographical cycles, the paintings serve as the standard of comparison for later works, but they have yet to be fully studied in the art historical literature. The aim of this dissertation is to help correct this oversight, and to examine the cycles, in the context of their cultural and architectural settings, in order to come to an understanding of how early hagiographical cycles functioned. The dissertation begins with an examination of the evidence for pre-8th century cycles, Biblical and non-Biblical, extant and non-extant, produced in any medium in Byzantium or the West. The aim is to discover patterns, either in the make-up of the cycles, or the contexts for their use. The paintings in Rome are then carefully analysed, both in terms of their content and archaeological context, in combination with the surviving hagiographical, liturgical, and historical texts. The conclusion reached is that non-Biblical hagiographical cycles first gained popularity in the East, where they were most commonly found decorating either the tombs of saints, or their reliquary shrines. Their appearance in Rome can be closely linked to the influence of the Greek-speaking immigrants, to the cults of saints and relics that they promulgated, and to the special veneration accorded the non-Biblical saint by members of the lay population. The cycles most commonly decorate chapels, or chapel-like spaces, that are located in diaconiae, the charitable institutions founded in Rome at the end of the 7th century, and whose administration was largely the responsibility of the lay community. Furthermore, as several of the cycles seem to decorate private chapels, perhaps provided to the wealthy laity in return for their donations to the church, they emerge as the early ancestors of the works found in the private chapels, decorated for rich benefactors, which proliferate in the late Middle Ages. / Graduate

Capes / A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo desenvolver um estudo qualitativo para verificar a relação entre a tecnologia e os saberes ancestrais tradicionais no Candomblé, em três nações de diferentes terreiros. As nações são as seguintes: Ketu, Jêje e Bantu. O terreiro Ketu localiza-se na cidade de Salvador; o terreiro Jêje localiza-se no recôncavo baiano, na cidade de Cachoeira; e o terceiro terreiro, Bantu, localiza-se na cidade de São José dos Pinhais, região metropolitana de Curitiba-PR, este sendo um terreiro rural. A proposta deste estudo nestes três terreiros é constatar a relação entre o Candomblé e a internet considerando analisar como se articula essa religião que se refere à natureza e aos valores e saberes ancestrais frente aos avanços tecnológicos. A metodologia se constituiu em analisar entrevistas realizadas com sacerdotisas e sacerdotes, bem como representantes religiosos das três nações pesquisadas. Outro foco desse trabalho foi analisar os impactos da urbanização e da perda de territorialidade, e a importância da preservação da linguagem e a oralidade nos terreiros de Candomblé e ao mesmo tempo da ancestralidade e a hierarquia nas tradições das religiões de matriz africana na África e na diáspora. A análise foi constantemente articulada com uma discussão sobre as mudanças ocorridas na legislação brasileira no que se refere aos direitos das religiões de matriz africana, considerando que essas religiões foram historicamente discriminadas, associadas ao primitivismo e à barbárie. A importância deste trabalho consiste em trazer à tona uma discussão permanente e necessária sobre intolerância religiosa e “estado laico”. / This research intend to develop a qualitative study to investigate the relationship between technology and traditional knowledge in traditional Candomblé in three terraces of different nations. The following nations are: Ketu, Jêje and Bantu. The yard Ketu is located in the city of Salvador, the yard Jêje recôncavo located in Bahia, in Cachoeira and the third yard, Bantu, located in the city of St. Joseph of the Pines, metropolitan region of Curitiba-PR, this being one rural yard. The purpose of this study these three terraces is observed the relationship between the internet and Candomblé considering analyze how religion articulates this relation to nature and to the values and ancestral knowledge forward to technological advances. The methodology consisted in analyzing interviews with priestesses and priests and religious representatives of the three nations surveyed. Another focus of this work was to analyze the impacts of urbanization and loss of territoriality, and the importance of preserving the language and orality in the yards of Candomblé while the ancestry and hierarchy in the traditions of African religions in Africa and in the diaspora. The analysis has been constantly linked with a discussion of the changes in Brazilian law regarding the rights of religions of African, considering that these religions were historically discriminated associated with primitivism and barbarism. The importance of this work is to bring to the fore a permanent and necessary discussion about religious intolerance and "secular state".

Capes / A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo desenvolver um estudo qualitativo para verificar a relação entre a tecnologia e os saberes ancestrais tradicionais no Candomblé, em três nações de diferentes terreiros. As nações são as seguintes: Ketu, Jêje e Bantu. O terreiro Ketu localiza-se na cidade de Salvador; o terreiro Jêje localiza-se no recôncavo baiano, na cidade de Cachoeira; e o terceiro terreiro, Bantu, localiza-se na cidade de São José dos Pinhais, região metropolitana de Curitiba-PR, este sendo um terreiro rural. A proposta deste estudo nestes três terreiros é constatar a relação entre o Candomblé e a internet considerando analisar como se articula essa religião que se refere à natureza e aos valores e saberes ancestrais frente aos avanços tecnológicos. A metodologia se constituiu em analisar entrevistas realizadas com sacerdotisas e sacerdotes, bem como representantes religiosos das três nações pesquisadas. Outro foco desse trabalho foi analisar os impactos da urbanização e da perda de territorialidade, e a importância da preservação da linguagem e a oralidade nos terreiros de Candomblé e ao mesmo tempo da ancestralidade e a hierarquia nas tradições das religiões de matriz africana na África e na diáspora. A análise foi constantemente articulada com uma discussão sobre as mudanças ocorridas na legislação brasileira no que se refere aos direitos das religiões de matriz africana, considerando que essas religiões foram historicamente discriminadas, associadas ao primitivismo e à barbárie. A importância deste trabalho consiste em trazer à tona uma discussão permanente e necessária sobre intolerância religiosa e “estado laico”. / This research intend to develop a qualitative study to investigate the relationship between technology and traditional knowledge in traditional Candomblé in three terraces of different nations. The following nations are: Ketu, Jêje and Bantu. The yard Ketu is located in the city of Salvador, the yard Jêje recôncavo located in Bahia, in Cachoeira and the third yard, Bantu, located in the city of St. Joseph of the Pines, metropolitan region of Curitiba-PR, this being one rural yard. The purpose of this study these three terraces is observed the relationship between the internet and Candomblé considering analyze how religion articulates this relation to nature and to the values and ancestral knowledge forward to technological advances. The methodology consisted in analyzing interviews with priestesses and priests and religious representatives of the three nations surveyed. Another focus of this work was to analyze the impacts of urbanization and loss of territoriality, and the importance of preserving the language and orality in the yards of Candomblé while the ancestry and hierarchy in the traditions of African religions in Africa and in the diaspora. The analysis has been constantly linked with a discussion of the changes in Brazilian law regarding the rights of religions of African, considering that these religions were historically discriminated associated with primitivism and barbarism. The importance of this work is to bring to the fore a permanent and necessary discussion about religious intolerance and "secular state".

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<p>This thesis studies the development of the Hindu god Skanda-Karttikeya from the fourth century BCE to the fourth century CE in north India. I argue that during this time period the deity is transformed from a demonic being associated with childhood diseases to a respected divine ge1eral and son to Siva. I begin with a discussion of the earliest written material about the deity found in the two Sanskrit Epics (The Mahabharata and The Ramayana) and other texts. These texts establish Skallda-Kal1tikeya's origins in demonic beings and illustrate his transformation into a martial deity. These texts also demonstrate how Brahminical redactors assimilated this deity into their own traditions. This process; of assimilation takes an inauspicious and unorthodox deity and transforms him into an auspicious and orthodox deity.</p> <p>1 go on to argue that this transformation did not result in the increased popularity of this deity, but brings about the end of his popular cult in the north of India. Based on ancient coinage, statuary and inscriptions I demonstrate that this deity's popularity was related to his earlier terrible image and a propitiatory cult designed to appease him. Once the dangerous aspect of his image was removed, so was the main source of his popular cult. As opposed to previous scholarship on this deity, I argue that the Brahminization of this deity's cult brings about its end.</p> <p>I also demonstrate, based on this deity's depiction on ancient coinage, statuary and epigraphy, that there were also political forces at work in this process. My research demonstrates that the most important groups in this process were non-Indian. Primarily, I identify the Kusanas as the main political group who transform this deity. This conclusion related to the foreign influence~e 'in the development of this deity lie in stark contrast to previous studies of this deity.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

In this study, I argue that the cult of the artist centered on memorial making. From the Quattrocento through the Seicento, the growth in the size and number of memorials for artists parallels the changes that took place regarding the social class, professional position, and economic privilege of practitioners of the three main visual arts, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Similar to portraits, self-portraits, personal emblems, and signatures, tomb effigies and epigraphs were a type of construction of identity that articulated similar notions, serving as a form of popular praise and as a way to preserve one's memory for posterity. Moreover, tombs for artists existed in the public sphere on a grand scale, reaching larger audiences and thus having a greater cultural impact. Additionally, in tandem with contemporary art theory, tomb making became a tangible outlet for the paragon of the arts and for comparison against each other. The funeral ceremony functioned not only as a communal display of local pride but it also served as a vehicle for constructing artist-patron relationships and a way to promote the profession. The faculty to fashion artistic ties through the public spectacle of the funeral and the permanent medium of the memorial proved to be particularly essential for the newly formed art academies in regard to group identity and professional bonding. Publicizing the unification of the three arts was a key concern for the academies, especially in regard to decorating communal burial sites and devising group insignia. The display of emblematic imagery in addition to the erection of inscriptions that link the artist to his master on the tomb memorial became a palpable way to formulate an artistic pedigree for that particular artist and for that associated community of artists. The early art companies in central Italy--I Virtuosi al Pantheon in the 1540s in Rome, the Accademia del Disegno in the 1560s in Florence, and the Accademia di San Luca in the 1590s in Rome--were founded with the intention to properly bury their members. Moreover, for members, establishing ties to Raphael and Michelangelo, who received unprecedented burials, were hailed as symbolic figureheads for the academies, and were venerated as "artistic saints," lies at the center of sixteenth-century memorial making for artists. For some in the profession, as was the case for the followers of Raphael, being buried near their capomaestro solidified real or desired connections. The display of what was believed to be Raphael's skull in the seventeenth-century Roman Academy exhibits the new regard for the artist. The physical being of the artist came to be an object charged with meaning, similar to a holy relic, bringing new meaning to the concept of the "divine artist." For others, viewing the miracle of the unmarred corpse of Michelangelo, their padre delle tre arti, upon the opening of his coffin after it arrived in Florence, left a lasting impression. By exploring the panegyric following of Raphael and Michelangelo with a focus on tomb memorials, this dissertation explores what is meant by the phrase the "cult of the artist," especially in relation to these two masters. In doing so, this study synthesizes and weaves together otherwise disparate sources in order to elucidate a better understanding of the idea of the artist during the Early Modern period in Italy. As it proves, honoring the artist through the creation of memorials was the principal way to publicly pay tribute to those in the trade and provided a new type of artistic camaraderie. / Art History

This research explores cult formation and sect-like worship in the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), around the figures of both the priest and guerrilla fighter Camilo Torres (1929-1966), and Fabio Vásquez, leader and founder of the group in 1963-1978. I examine the relationship between authority and obedience that shaped political leadership in Colombia since the late 19th century. In particular, I consider how collective moral and individual values become ritualized in daily practices and moral discourses fostered by leaders that promoted drastic social change along Colombian history. This analysis of authority and obedience facilitates interpretations into how leaders create allegiances and legitimize violence as a strategy to bring about change in Colombian politics. I argue that the politics of magnicidio demonstrates how the formation of leadership is hampered by the use of selective violence, as a strategy to dismantle or deter political opponents from participation. This happens in both mainstream politics and within insurgent groups. In this vein, I argue that by approaching the figure of Camilo Torres and the reverence to his memory, it is possible to understand the importance of leadership and authority both in a guerrilla group, and in social mobilization, particularly the student movement, intellectual sectors, and the youth. I sustain that reverence to Camilo Torres has been fostered primarily outside the ELN. Although the ceremonies around his figure and the revolutionary project progressively furnished the group with a consistent pattern of belief for individual and group interaction, his leadership in the groups was not substantial. I demonstrate how Camilo Torres surrendered to the leadership of Fabio Vásquez in an attempt to become a suitable guerrillero. I argue that beyond claims for Camilo Torres' political legacy, guerrilla fighters in the ELN used his thought to challenge and undermine Fabio Vásquez' personalistic leadership in 1967-1974. Although the figure of Camilo Torres created internal cohesion, the ELN‘s re-conceptualization of the revolutionary project used his life only as a paradigm of commitment, sacrifice and revolutionary redemption, ignoring the priest's political ideals and assertions on social justice, charity and love. I conclude by exploring Camilo Torres' thought and actions in order to demonstrate how the ELN selectively interprets his legacy, and thereby justify the last months of his life to legitimize radical left leaning fighting. / Ph. D.

This research analyzes the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOF), a female-led Evangelical church that social scientists have not yet studied. My thesis explores how a female leader operates within a patriarchal space and why WOF owns a Holocaust Museum. I conducted content analysis of the church and museum websites, Google reviews, and visited the museum in person. My research highlights the limitations of current taxonomies of religion in sociology. I address this oversight, argue for the re-introduction of “cult” as an analytical term, and propose a rubric for cult identification. I suggest that WOF is a sectarian cult with similar features to other female-led cults. I also find that the group expresses philosemitism through the museum and the tragedy of the Holocaust to pursue church legitimacy. I thus expand on current understandings of philosemitism and posit the concept of tragedy appropriation to describe narrative theft at the group level.

This is a thesis about a pivotal transition in the development of Western Civilization. The seed of Christianity that would eventually grow to dominate all religions of the West was sewn during a fertile time of Hellenism, in which many Greco-Roman citizens were seeking a new spiritual depth. This led to the extreme popularity of cults and mystery-religions that focused on esoteric, personal and experiential knowledge of the divine. The study will examine one of these major cults in particular, namely that of Dionysus, in order to paint a clearer picture of how the Christian faith formed in coexistence with this cult. One cannot overlook Judaism, and it is often believed that Christianity is almost solely indebted to the Jewish tradition. Furthermore, the belief is held by many, that the Christian rituals practiced in antiquity were either clearly unique or rooted in Jewish ritual. This has unfortunately led to a trend in New Testament study that generally overlooks the vital importance and influence of the pagan religions during the Hellenistic-Roman age. In fact, some of the beliefs and practices of these mystery cults (which also happen to pre-date Christianity) were so close to those of the early church that Justin Martyr could find no other explanation except that they were inspired by demons. This leaves most modern readers wanting, and demands further examination. Due to their Dionysian tendencies, the study will be dedicated to Pauline Churches in particular and the spirituality associated with them. Paul, an ecstatic mystic himself, presents a Christian vision that seems to synthesize concepts from both contemporary mystery cults and Judaism. This thesis is committed to creating a deeper understanding of the Hellenized cultural milieu that the Christian movement came out of.