Research assistant Marko Marina (Ph.D.) from the Department of History recently participated in the international scholarly conference “Exploring the Orient: Cultural Bridges Between Central Europe and the Near East”, organized by Eötvös Loránd University (Faculty of Humanities) in Budapest from September 25th to 29th, 2024.

At the conference, Dr. Marina presented his paper titled “Constructing Monasticism in Late Antique Egypt: Ecclesiastical Authors, Ideology, and the Power of Collective Memory”. His presentation explored the ways in which ecclesiastical authors from Late Antique Egypt shaped the narrative of monasticism through ideological lenses and collective memory, with a particular focus on the writings of John Cassian and his impact on monastic traditions in Western Europe. His research emphasized Cassian's adaptation of Egyptian monastic ideals to the context of 4th-century Gaul, contributing to a deeper understanding of the cultural and theological exchanges between the Near East and Europe in the formation of Christian monasticism.