Talks & Lectures

The Vico road goes round and round to meet where terms begin
(Giacomo Joyce, Finnegans Wake [1939], 452.21–22)

List of conference presentations and invited lectures (selection since 2005):

  • Dialoghetto sulla storia nella storia delle religioni (with Chiara Cremonesi). CUSR Annual Conference – “La Storia delle religioni tra fatti, feticci e fatticci”. University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (Nov. 28, 2025).
  • Mr Smith’s Cabinet of Wonder: On Data, Examples, and Scale in the Scholarly Imagination of Religion (with Chiara Cremonesi). CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Sept. 25, 2025).
  • Mosè parla col fuoco. Il roveto ardente nella tradizione ebraica. Public lecture for the cultural festival “Maggio dei Monumenti – Napoli cuore ardente, mente illuminata”, Naples, Italy (May 31, 2025).
  • “The Wand Chooses the Wizard”: J.Z. Smith and the Scholarly Imagination of Religion. International workshop “Traduire Jonathan Z. Smith: L’histoire des religions après le tournant critique”. École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Paris (May 14, 2025).
  • Mystery Play. Note su un combattimento di galli a Corinto. Advanced Seminar “Filologia e Letteratura Classica a Bologna”. FICLIT, University of Bologna, Italy (March 27, 2025).
  • Jonathan Z. Smith e la storia delle religioni in Italia. Conference for the cycle “I lunedì della Peterson. Incontri a Torino con gli autori”. University of Turin, Italy (March 17, 2025).
  • La preghiera del Buddha bizantino. Noterelle sull’uso (e sull’abuso) della Storia di Barlaam e Ioasaf. International workshop “L’eredità di Bisanzio – La preghiera: testi, luoghi, immagini”. University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (Dec. 11, 2024).
  • The Passion of the Christ-Mime: Popular Theatricality from Paul the Mimic Fool to Genesius the Converted Actor. Paper for the international workshop “Masks, Mimes, Miracles… and Mysteries: Retelling and Performing Sacred Stories in Late Antiquity” – Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon”. University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (May 9, 2024).
  • Scrivere ai Corinzi / Ridescrivere i Corinzi: le lettere di Paolo come documento etnografico. Conference. Istituto di Storia del Cristianesimo “Mons. Cataldo Naro”, Naples, Italy (Apr. 9, 2024).
  • “Un collezionismo bibliografico ed erudito”. Jonathan Z. Smith e il fardello (italiano ed europeo) della storia delle religioni. “Seminari romani di storia delle religioni nel centenario della cattedra (1924-2024)”, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy (Feb. 14, 2024).
  • Criseide e Catarsi: un esperimento di micro-comparazione. Advanced Seminar “Stati di crisi – II”, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (Jan. 12, 2024).
  • Fwd: Sixth Ezra – On Liminal Devices, Apocryphicity, and a Curious Case of Paperback Religion. CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Sept. 22, 2023).
  • Scrittura, natura, cultura: Rileggendo Tristi Tropici di Claude Lévi-Strauss. Lecture for the Seminar “Esercizi di (ri)lettura: antropologia, storia culturale, storia delle religioni”, University of Naples “Federico II” – University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (May 12, 2023).
  • I nostri casi, e quelli di Ginzburg. Book discussion with Carlo Ginzburg, Sabina Pavone, and Riccardo Rosolino, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (April 12, 2023).
  • “Agents provocateurs” e utopie realizzabili. Note a margine del nuovo libro di A. Destro e M. Pesce, “Il Battista e Gesù. Due movimenti giudaici nel tempo della crisi” (2021). Book discussion for the cycle “Libri di Storia”, University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy (June 15, 2022).
  • “Here You Grew Up, Here You Are Happy” – The Basilica Complex of Bishop Theodore in Aquileia, between Utopia and Heterotopia. CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Sept. 29, 2021).
  • On Scribal Performances and Bookish Milieus: Redescribing the Apocryphal Book of Sixth Ezra. Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon”, University of Regensburg, Germany (June 7, 2021).
  • “È la bacchetta a scegliere il mago”: Jonathan Z. Smith e gli incantesimi della comparazione. Seminario di Antropologia delle Religioni East & West, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy (May 12, 2021).
  • Picking Up the Agrapha: Adventures and Misadventures in the Modern Quest for the ‘Unwritten Gospel’ of Jesus. Advanced Seminar Course, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (May 4–15, 2020; postponed).
  • Tradition as Innovation: Christian Origins in Aquileia and the Social Fabric of the Past. International Workshop on “The Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles in Late Antiquity: Tradition and Innovation”, Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon”, University of Regensburg, Germany (Nov. 28, 2019).
  • Paul and the Jesus Tradition: It Is Time Again for Another Look. “Oberseminar Zürich – Regensburg”, University of Zurich, Switzerland (July 16, 2019).
  • A Little Tour among the Ag’ruh-fuh. Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon”, University of Regensburg, Germany (Apr. 11, 2018).
  • Dealing with Disruption: Updates on 6 Ezra. Centre for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon”, University of Regensburg, Germany (Dec. 12, 2018).
  • Is There a Bible in this Class? Rethinking Biblical Studies with Jonathan Z. Smith. CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Sept. 29, 2018).
  • La Maddalena da lontano. Note su E. Lupieri (ed.), “Una sposa per Gesù. Maria Maddalena tra antichità e postmoderno” (2018). Book discussion, Fondazione per le scienze religiose Giovanni XXIII, Bologna, Italy (Jan. 19, 2018).
  • Mystery Plays: Towards a Thick Description of 1 Corinthians 4. Paper accepted for the Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting / European Association of Biblical Studies Annual Meeting, Berlin (Aug. 7-11, 2017).
  • Paul and the Archaeology of Translation. Department of New Testament Studies, University of Regensburg, Germany (Jan. 14, 2016).
  • Paolo, la violenza, il genere. International Meeting on “The Languages of Violence”, University of Catania, Italy (Nov. 27, 2015).
  • 14 Theses on Paul and Translation. CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Oct. 1, 2015).
  • As If Not: Dissimulation Strategies from Paul to the Sixth Book of Ezra. International Meeting “Early Christian Apocrypha in Regensburg: Apocalypses of Ezra”, University of Regensburg, Germany (June 27, 2015).
  • Who Is the ‘I’ of Sixth Ezra? Notes for a Socio-Rhetorical Reading of 6 Ezra 15:1–4. Department of New Testament Studies, University of Regensburg, Germany (March 3, 2015).
  • L’origine delle origini. Jonathan Z. Smith e la storia naturale del cristianesimo. CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Oct. 4, 2014).
  • Ri-velazioni vernacolari. Paolo e la questione del velo a Corinto. CISSR Annual Meeting on Christian Origins, Bertinoro, Italy (Oct. 3, 2014).
  • Continuità o discontinuità tra Gesù e i suoi primi seguaci? Round Table Discussion (with G. Boccaccini, E. Norelli, M. Rescio), Biblical Week organized by “Comunità di Sambuco” (Milan), Motta di Campodolcino, Italy (Aug. 2, 2013).
  • Intertextuality and the Arts of Resistance: Recovering the Social History of the Sixth Book of Ezra. Department of New Testament Studies, University of Regensburg, Germany (Oct. 30, 2012).
  • Sabbath in Perspective: A Glimpse into Jesus’ and Paul’s Practice of Life (with M. Rescio). Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting, Free University of Amsterdam (July 23, 2012).
  • Trasmissione e talento individuale. Paolo interprete e scriba di Gesù. 2nd International Meeting on “The Transmission of the Words of Jesus in the First Three Centuries”, University of Bologna, Italy (May 24, 2012).
  • There is Nothing Unclean: Jesus and Paul against the Politics of Purity? (with M. Rescio). Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting, King’s College, London (July 6, 2011).
  • Da Gesù a Paolo: l’invenzione delle origini. Cultural circle “Augusto Del Noce”, Pordenone, Italy (Feb. 28, 2011).
  • Ricerche sulle origini del cristianesimo ad Aquileia. Un bilancio e alcune prospettive di ricerca. Department of Humanities, University of Udine, Italy (Feb. 2, 2010).
  • Le immagini di Gesù nel cristianesimo delle origini. ACLI (Italian association of workers) cultural circle, Pordenone, Italy (Sept. 25, 2009).
  • Paolo apostolo delle genti, fra storia e memoria. UTEA (University of the Third Age), Pordenone, Italy (Oct. 9, 2009).
  • Paul and the Sayings of Jesus: Fragments of a Well-Known Teaching? Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting, Rome (July 3, 2009).
  • Da Gerusalemme a Roma. L’itinerario storico-spirituale di Paolo. Carmelite Convent of Bolzano, Italy (Dec. 9, 2008).
  • “Che cosa possiedi, che tu non abbia ricevuto?” (1 Cor 4, 1-7). Paolo, i Corinzi e la parabola dell’amministratore disonesto. Seminars on Early Christian Literature, Department of Philology, University of Bologna, Italy (Nov. 27, 2008).
  • Ivan Illich: istruzioni per l’uso. ACLI (Italian association of workers) cultural circle, Pordenone, Italy (May 23, 2008).
  • “Rendete a tutti ciò che è dovuto” (Rm 12, 7). Paolo, Gesù e il tributo a Cesare. 1st International Meeting on “The Transmission of the Words of Jesus in the First Three Centuries”, University of Bologna, Italy (May 14, 2008).
  • A Non-Canonical Jesus in Paul? 1 Corinthians 1–4 as a Test-Case. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Diego, California (Nov. 19, 2007).
  • La trasmissione delle parole di Gesù. Appunti di una ricerca in corso (with E. De Luca, M. Rescio, and D. Tripaldi). University of Turin, Italy (October 9, 2007).
  • Un tempo per Qohelet. ACLI (Italian association of workers), Pordenone, Italy (Jan. 3, 2007).
  • Tommaso d’Aquino riletto da Giorgio La Pira. FUCI (Italian federation of Catholic students), Treviso, Italy (Oct. 27, 2006).
  • Dal Gesù della storia al Cristo degli esoteristi. GRIS (Italian research group on new religious movements), Pordenone, Italy (Feb. 8, 2006).
  • La trasmissione delle parole di Gesù nella Prima lettera ai Corinzi. Status quaestionis e prospettive di ricerca. University of Bologna, Italy (Nov. 29, 2005).
  • Del buon uso del frammento: “Le parole dimenticate di Gesù”. Cultural circle “Associazione Montereale”, Pordenone, Italy (March 7, 2005).
  • Il Papiro Egerton 2. Discussione delle ipotesi critiche di H. Koester, J.D. Crossan ed E. Norelli. CISEC, University of Bologna, Italy (Feb. 11, 2005).