Midwestern Consortium on Ancient Religions

Founded in 2002 by the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and The Ohio State University, the Consortium meets once a year for a one-day faculty and graduate student conference on a topic relevant to a range of ancient Mediterranean religions (Greek, Roman, Near Eastern, Jewish, etc.).

Previous conferences have been:

  • December 2023 | "Working for the Gods: Religion & Labor in the Ancient Mediterranean," The Ohio State University [Program]
  • October 2019 | "Curses in Context," University of Chicago
  • October 2018 | "Ex Arches: Looking Back at Myths of Origins," The Ohio State University.
  • March 7, 2015 | " The Revival or Reinvention of Non-Roman Religion under Roman Imperial Rule" The University of Chicago
  • November 1-2, 2013 | "The Religion of Things" University of Michigan
  • February 24-26, 2012 | "The Stuff that Dreams are Made of': The Interpretation, Divination and Use of Dreams in Ancient Mediterranean Religions," The Ohio State University. [Program]
  • April 8-10, 2011 | "Imagined Beginnings: The Poetics and Politics of Theogony and Anthropogony in the Ancient World," University of Chicago.
  • April 9-11, 2010 | "Religion and Magic in Greco-Roman Egypt," University of Michigan.
  • March, 2009 | "The Construction of Sacred Space," Ohio State University.
  • April 11-13, 2008 | "The Centrality of Animal Sacrifice in Ancient Greek Religion: Ancient Reality or Modern Construct?," University of Chicago.
  • March 16-17, 2007 | "The Soul in Ancient Thought and Cult," University of Michigan.
  • April 28-30, 2006 | "Ritual Texts for the Afterlife," The Ohio State University.
  • March 4-6, 2005 | "The Spirit Within: Inspiration, Possession and Disease in the Ancient Mediterranean Basin," University of Chicago.
  • March 20, 2004 | "Communication with the Divine," University of Michigan.
  • April 26, 2003 | "Sacred Texts," The Ohio State University.
  • November 2002 | "Religion-Philosophy-Poetry: Rethinking Early Greek Hexametrical Texts," University of Chicago.


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