Cette thèse porte sur les processus du « changement d’état d’esprit », une problématique que l’anthropologie a traditionnellement traitée sous l’angle de « l’évolution culturelle », mais que j’aborde ici de manière différente à travers la pensée systémique de Gregory Bateson. Vu sous cet angle, le changement est un processus « écologique » qui affecte le modèle des relations entre un système et son environnement. Si la métaphore centrale de Bateson est écologique, son point focal n’en est pas pour autant la « vie organique », mais bien le monde de l’Esprit tel qu’il le conçoit fait de perceptions, d’organisation et de communication. Le modèle pose en prémisse que tout changement dans l’état d’un système d’idées implique des changements dans ses relations avec son « environnement » et vice versa, cette réciprocité conduisant éventuellement au croisement de logiques incompatibles, jusqu’au seuil d’un paradoxe fondamental entre les efforts fournis pour maintenir le statu quo et ceux investis dans la création de nouveaux modèles. La problématique de recherche met en relief trois orientations possibles de l’étude du changement d’état d’esprit : l’orientation personnaliste privilégiée par les disciplines du domaine de la santé mentale, l’orientation situationniste mieux prise en charge par les théories de la communication (mais également par les artistes et les sémioticiens) et l’orientation écologiste caractérisée par un haut niveau d’abstraction, ceci dans le but de focaliser les regards, non pas sur les expériences vécues ni sur le contexte de leur épreuve, mais plutôt sur la logique des ordres qui structurent la communication entre un système et son environnement. L’exposé de la problématique inclut la disposition de balises dans l’ouvrage de Bateson de sorte à circonscrire sa sphère de pertinence, à exposer son modèle systémique de l’esprit et à préciser sa terminologie. La recherche se déploie dans le cadre conceptuel du paradigme systémique tel qu’il se décline chez Bateson par un formalisme esthétique, un fonctionnalisme logique et un processualisme « neutre » (au sens de générique plutôt que particulier). La méthode employée se caractérise par l’usage de la pensée analogique ou métaphorique structurée autour des concepts de forme, de fonction et de processus ; le raisonnement dit « en pince », lequel combine l’induction, la déduction et la transduction ; et la modélisation par triangulation. Trois études de cas présentées sous forme d’articles composent le corps de la thèse. Chacune de ces études illustre un aspect théorique ou méthodologique de la pensée systémique de Bateson tout en prenant racine dans un seul et même substrat, soit celui que constitue le thème du changement d’état d’esprit tel qu’il se décline dans ma propre expérience intellectuelle en contexte universitaire. Le premier article s’intéresse à un état d’esprit académique particulier (le scientisme) qui conditionne l’environnement de la recherche universitaire lorsqu’elle s’effectue dans des conditions de partenariat disciplinaire ou sectoriel ; le deuxième article pose un regard critique sur un certain état d’esprit professionnel (le corporatisme) qui a paralysé l’environnement d’un programme de baccalauréat en pratique artistique dans une université francophone montréalaise ; et le troisième article est la critique féministe d’un état d’esprit culturel nord-américain typique (le machisme) qui règne dans la sphère du divertissement musical alors que l’industrie du romantisme se fait le vecteur de la socialisation des jeunes filles à la violence communicationnelle dans les relations amoureuses hétérosexuelles. Le fil conducteur de ces trois articles reste implicite dans les versions publiées : il concerne le seuil critique d’un changement d’état d’esprit qui peut être atteint lorsque se met en place une confrontation entre deux logiques adaptatives contradictoires, leurs processus respectifs étant capables de maintenir, comme de menacer l’écologie des systèmes de pensée affectés. La thèse se termine par une courte réflexion visant à cerner l’enjeu éthique de la recherche sur le changement d’état d’esprit, suivie par un commentaire sur la place que pourrait favorablement prendre la pensée « souveraine » (celle qui fixe elle-même ses buts) dans l’architectonique de la nouvelle réalité humaine, plus ou moins bien envisagée par cette « Université du futur » à laquelle le scientifique en chef du Québec nous demande de rêver. / This thesis focuses on the processes of "mind change", an issue that anthropology has traditionally treated from the perspective of "cultural evolution", but which I approach here in a different way through the systemic thinking of Gregory Bateson. From this perspective, change is an "ecological" process that affects the pattern of relationships between a system and its environment. While Bateson's central metaphor is ecological, his focus is not on "organic life" but on the world of Mind as he sees it, which is made up of sense, organization, and communication. The model poses the premise that any change in the state of an idea system implies changes in its relations with its "environment" and vice versa, this reciprocity eventually leading to the crossing of incompatible logics, to the threshold of a fundamental paradox between the efforts made to maintain the status quo and those invested in creating new models. The research problematic highlights three possible orientations of the study of mindset change: the personalist orientation favored by disciplines in the field of mental health, the situationist orientation better supported by communication theories (but also by artists and semioticians), and the ecological orientation characterized by a high level of abstraction, this with the aim of focusing the gaze, not on lived experiences nor on the context of their ordeal, but rather on the logic of the orders that structure the communication between a system and its environment. The presentation of the problematic includes the placement of markers in Bateson's work to circumscribe his sphere of relevance, to expose his systemic model of the mind and to clarify his terminology. The research unfolds within the conceptual framework of the systemic paradigm as it is declined in Bateson by an aesthetic formalism, a logical functionalism and a « neutral » processualism (in the sense of generic rather than particular). The method employed is characterized by use of analogical or metaphorical thinking structured around the concepts of form, function, and process; "pincer" reasoning, which combines induction, deduction, and transduction; and modeling by using examples.   Three case studies presented in the form of articles make up the body of the thesis. Each of these studies illustrates a theoretical or methodological aspect of Bateson's systemic thinking while being rooted in one and the same substratum, that is, the theme of mindset change, as it plays out in my own intellectual experience in an academic context. The first article focuses on a particular academic mindset (Scientism) that conditions the environment of university research when it is carried out in conditions of disciplinary or sectoral interest; the second article takes a critical look at a certain professional mindset (Corporatism) that has paralyzed the environment of a bachelor's program in art practice at a francophone university in Montreal ; and the third article is a feminist critique of a typical North American cultural mindset (Machismo) that reigns in the sphere of musical entertainment as the romance industry acts as a vehicle for the socialization of young girls to communicative violence in heterosexual romantic relationships. The common thread of these three articles remains implicit in the published versions: it concerns the critical threshold for a change of mindset that can be reached when a confrontation between two contradictory adaptive logics takes place, their respective processes being able to maintain, as well as to threaten the ecology of the affected systems of thought. The thesis concludes with a short reflection on the ethical stakes of mindset change research, followed by a commentary on the place that "sovereign" thinking (that which sets its own goals) could favorably take in the architectonics of the new human reality, (not) well envisioned by this "University of the Future" that Quebec's of which chief scientist is now asking us to dream.

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This dissertation offers the first systematic historical contextualization and literary analysis of the five saints' lives composed by Philotheos Kokkinos (ca. 1300-1378) for his contemporaries Nikodemos the Younger, Sabas the Younger, Isidore Boucheir, Germanos Maroules, and Gregory Palamas. Notwithstanding Kokkinos' prominent role in the political and ecclesiastical scene of fourteenth-century Byzantium, as well as the size and significance of his hagiographic oeuvre, both the hagiographer and his saints' lives have received surprisingly little scholarly attention. My dissertation fills this gap and shows Kokkinos as a gifted hagiographer who played a leading role, both through his ecclesiastical authority and hagiographic discourse, in orchestrating the societal breakthrough of hesychast theology that has remained at the core of Christian Orthodoxy up to this day. The dissertation is structured in three parts. The first, Philotheos Kokkinos and His OEuvre, offers an extensive biographical portrait of Kokkinos, introduces his literary oeuvre, and discusses its manuscript tradition. A thorough palaeographical investigation of fourteenth-century codices carrying his writings reveals Kokkinos' active involvement in the process of copying, reviewing, and publishing his own works. This section includes an analysis of the 'author's edition' manuscript Marcianus graecus 582, and presents its unusual fate. Moreover, Part I establishes the chronology of Kokkinos' vitae of contemporary saints and offers biographical sketches of his heroes, highlighting their relationship to their hagiographer. The second part, Narratological Analysis of Kokkinos' Vitae of Contemporary Saints, constitutes the first comprehensive analysis of Kokkinos' narrative technique. It first discusses the types of hagiographic composition ('hagiographic genre') Kokkinos employed for his saints' lives (hypomnema, bios kai politeia, and logos), and then it offers a detailed investigation that sheds light on the organization of the narrative in Kokkinos' vitae and his use of specific narrative devices. This includes a discussion of hesychastic elements couched in the narrative. Part II concludes with considerations on Kokkinos' style and intended audience. The third part, Saints and Society, begins with a detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis of the miracle accounts Kokkinos wove in his saints' lives. This considers the miracle typology, types of afflictions, methods of healing, and the demographic characteristics of the beneficiaries (such as age, gender, and social status), revealing that Kokkinos shows a predilection for including miracles for members of the aristocracy. Second, it presents Kokkinos' view on the relationship between the imperial office and ecclesiastical authority by analysing how he portrays the emperor(s) in his vitae. Moreover, this part addresses the saints' encounters with the 'other' (Muslims and Latins), revealing Kokkinos' nuanced understanding of the threats and opportunities raised by these interactions. Finally, it makes the claim that through his saints' lives Kokkinos offers models of identification and refuge in the troubled social and political context of fourteenth-century Byzantium, promoting a spiritual revival of society. As my dissertation shows, Kokkinos' vitae of contemporary saints sought to shape and were shaped by the political and theological disputes of fourteenth-century Byzantium, especially those surrounding hesychasm. Their analysis offers insights into the thought-world of their author and sheds more light on the late-Byzantine religious and cultural context of their production. The dissertation is equipped with six technical appendices presenting the chronology of Kokkinos' life and works, the narrative structure of his vitae of contemporary saints, a critical edition of the preface of his hitherto unedited Logos on All Saints (BHG 1617g), a transcription of two hitherto unedited prayers Kokkinos addressed to the emperors, the content of Marc. gr. 582 and Kokkinos' autograph interventions, and manuscript plates.

Interpretation of the Life of Moses according to Gregory of Nyssa and Its Inspiration by the Thought of Philo of Alexandria Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BC - c. 40 CE) and his allegorical interpretation of the Bible (especially the Pentateuch) had a strong influence on early Christian writers including Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 - c. 395 CE). It is obvious that Gregory was inspired by Philo judging from the fact that Gregory's treatise The Life of Moses (De vita Moysis) has the same name and a partly similar topic as one of Philo's writings. For Gregory, Moses is an ideal example of perfect virtue which consists in a continual progression toward the Good. The main topic of the thesis is Philo's influence on Gregory's interpretation of Moses. The work discusses the following issues in the thought of both authors: the treatise De vita Moysis, the person of Moses, exegetical principles, perfection that could be demonstrated on the life of a good person, the question of knowledge and unknowability of God and the mediation between God and men. Since Gregory's reception of Philo was influenced by Origen of Alexandria, Origen's biblical exegesis and exegetical theory are also briefly presented. In the centre of the thesis, there are those questions: In what way was Gregory's concept of perfect virtue inspired by the...

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L'iconographie de saint Grégoire le Grand (v.540 – 604) n'a été jusqu'à présent que très peu étudiée.Lorsqu'on connaît l'importance de ce saint dans la société médiévale, et plus particulièrement à partir du IXe siècle et jusqu'au XIIe siècle, il s'avère donc logique d'en approfondir l'iconographie et les enjeux qui s'en détachent. Riche d'un héritage antique et surtout carolingien lui conférant une autorité, l'image grégorienne souvent insérée au sein d'une image tripartite hiérarchisée (Dieu, l'homme et le livre), semble liée à plusieurs données: hagiographiques, scéniques, scripturaires ou géographiques. Elle expose les relations entre oralité et registre écrit, rend compte des changements de fonction du litteras et de l'importance de la mémorisation et témoigne d'une recherche aiguë du sens. Tendant à s’éloigner des bases hagiographiques, elle met l’accent, entre les IX et le XIe siècles, sur la vocalisation, puis, au XIIe s., sur la représentation des différentes phases de la vie d'un texte, de ce fait l'image est donc liée à la production du livre et axée sur la représentation de la transmission du savoir et de son enseignement dans laquelle la visualisation du savoir prend toute son importance (recherche généalogique et didactique centrées sur les vertus du saint). Grégoire, doué d'attributs impériaux l'élevant vers l'au-delà, est intégré à une image représentant l'invisible puisque Dieu reste caché à la vue de l 'homme. Cette image, à insérer dans le contexte liturgique et sensitif, fait non seulement écho aux principales préoccupations théologiques, morales voire canoniques de l'époque mais tente surtout de les légitimer. / The iconography of St. Gregory the Great (ca. 540 - March 12, 604) has so far been little studied, despite a resurgence of studies recognized for several decades. When we know the importance of this saint in medieval society, especially from the ninth century to the twelfth century, it seems therefore logical to study the iconographic aspects and issues emanating from it. A rich antique heritage and especially carolingian giving it authority, the Gregorian picture often inserted within an image tripartite hierarchy (God, man and the book), seems to be linked to several data: hagiographic, scenic, scriptural or geographic. It describes the relationship between oral and written records, reports changes depending on litteras and the importance of storage and research shows acute sense. Tending to move away from hagiographics bases, it emphasizes between the IXth and XIth centuries, the vocalization, and then, in the twelfth century, on the representation of the different phases of the life of a text (inspiration, transcription, writing, transmission), this that the image is linked to the production of the book focuses on the representation of the transmission of knowledge and teaching wherein the visualization of knowledge becomes important (genealogical and didactic research focus on the virtues of the saint). Gregory, endowed with imperial attributes raising him toward beyond, is integrated into an image representing the invisible because God remains hidden from the view of the man. These pictures to be inserted in the liturgical context and sensitive, are not only reflected the main concerns theological, moral or canonical time but mostly trying to legitimize them.

Korstågen har haft stor inverkan på världshistorien. De stora krigshärarna som drog ut i strid i främmande områden lämnade ett blodigt spår efter sig där de drog fram i Mellanöstern, Baltikum, Spanien såväl som i södra Frankrike. Korstågen gestaltar dessutom det kontroversiella ämnet om relationen mellan religion och politik som har genomsyrat historien och som är av lika stor vikt i modern tid. Korstågen har därför en särskild plats inom historievetenskap, fiktion såväl som modern politisk agenda. Denna studie ämnar lyfta fram användandet av Gud och religiösa uttryck i påvliga brev mellan 1145 och 1215 för att, genom en adaptering av Foucaults diskurs- samt maktanalys, påvisa hur makt användes genom religiösa uttryck och vad Foucault kallar för pastoral makt. Syftet med denna studie är att skapa en större förståelse för religiöst inflytande under medeltiden samt hur den religiösa makten manifesterades i påvliga brev.

Au VIème siècle après J.-Ch., les structures de la langue latine ne correspondent plus tout à fait aux normes de la langue classique, aussi bien du point de vue morphologique et sémantique que syntaxique. A travers l’étude comparative des constructions absolues entre un corpus d’auteurs classiques et un corpus d’auteurs tardifs, nous montrons l’émergence de nouvelles valeurs du participe, particulièrement le participe passé actif de verbes non déponents, en latin tardif, ou plus exactement une fréquence accrue de valeurs parfois attestées en latin classique et archaïque. / In the 6th century A.D., the structures of the Latin language no longer entirelycorrespond to the norms of Classical Latin, from a morphological and semantic perspective aswell as a syntactical one.By means of a comparative study of absolute constructions in a corpus of classicalauthors and a corpus of later authors, we show the emergence of new participle values, inparticular the active passive participle of non-deponent verbs in Late Latin, or more precisely,a greater frequency of values sometimes attested in Classical and Archaic Latin.