REMINDER - CFP "Natural, Unnatural, & Supernatural" (Deadline July 1)

Call for Papers

 “Natural, Unnatural, & Supernatural”

36th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Medieval Association

Roanoke, VA

18-20 November 2010

The 36th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Medieval Association will take place 18-20 November 2010, at the Hotel Roanoke, located in the southwest corner of Virginia in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley.  Because this year’s conference coincides with the 75th anniversary of the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, we have selected “Natural, Unnatural, & Supernatural” as its theme.

We welcome papers and panels dealing with all aspects of the Middle Ages, but we particularly encourage those examining elements of the natural, unnatural, and supernatural in the medieval world.  As it does every year, the SEMA conference encourages submissions from all branches of medieval studies, including but not limited to history, art, science, philosophy, theology, archaeology, paleography, language, and literatures.

Proposals for entire sessions and for interdisciplinary presentations are strongly encouraged, although individual paper proposals are welcome as well. Offers to serve as session moderators are also welcome. 

Papers should be no more than 20 minutes in length and sessions should consist of no more than 3 presenters and 1 moderator. If submitting a full session, please indicate the intended format of the session (formal papers, roundtable discussion, panel, and so on) and titles of all individual presentations. All proposals should be approximately 250 words and include all contact information (mailing address as well as email) of the presenter(s) and/or organizer. Proposals must include a note regarding A/V equipment needs.  Email submissions are much preferred.

Email proposals by July 1 to:

sema2010 AT scholar.vt.edu

Please explore the conference website, where you'll find information on plenary speakers, accommodation, local dining, travel and maps, and local attractions. 


For questions or more information about the conference please contact:

Matthew Gabriele (Virginia Tech) mgabriele AT vt.edu
Dana-Linn Whiteside (Roanoke College) whiteside AT roanoke.edu

Is Israel "Medieval?" No.

Ross Douthat thinks you can compare Israel to "Outremer."  Like you can compare Afghanistan to ca. 1000 Francia?  No.

But at least Douthat's consistent.  This is the same guy who called Islam "Christianity's most enduring and impressive foe."  He is, in a sense, trying to rescue Outremer, trying to learn from the Franks' mistakes of so many centuries ago -- not to forge better understanding in the region, but to create a new Judeo-Christian hegemony, and give weight (against all work to the contrary) to Al Qaeda's claims about "Judeo-Christian crusaders."  Maybe he can recruit Erik Prince, as a new Raymond of St. Gilles to Douthat's Urban II.

Is Afghanistan "Medieval?" No.

Yet, people keep asking this question.

Yesterday (June 2, 2010), it was Prof. Thomas Barfield of Boston University, writing at ForeignPolicy.com.  Barfield points out, quite rightly perhaps, that comparisons between the European Middle Ages and contemporary Afghanistan come fast and quick, most recently by the current UK Defense Minister, Liam Fox.  Indeed, when looked at quickly, the religious and political situations seem quite analogous -- a decentralized power structure with several loci that have recourse to legitimately use violence, the permeation of religion into the discourse of everyday life, etc.  Makes you wish that someone would study the intersection of religion and culture, doesn't it? 

Anyway, after drawing the outlines for his comparison, Barfield concludes his essay by suggesting that any Western diplomats charged with helping modern Afghanistan should learn their medieval history, because "at least in medieval Europe, the centralized state emerged victorious."