12/07/2025 08:30
- 10:45
HALL: Lecture Hall 02
Chair:
Napolitano M.
Proponent:
Alpi F.
Speaker:
Iezzi F.,
Scapini E.
This panel aims to explore how texts of faith profession, particularly the Nicene and Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds, played a central role in defining both selfhood and otherness, shaping mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion within fourth- and fifth-century Christian communities. The overarching theme, "Defining Oneself and Defining the Other", serves as a lens to examine how early Christian groups articulated their identities through opposition to the "other" and in response to shifting political, social, and cultural conditions of their time. By analyzing key faith formulas, doctrines, and documents, this panel will highlight the dual processes of self-definition and differentiation. Special attention will be given to how these processes were shaped not only by theological debates but also by external pressures, such as political and social alignments. These dynamics often spurred significant internal divisions, as groups continually redefined themselves in reaction to doctrinal developments and political changes. The discussion will further explore how these mechanisms of identity construction included the rewriting of public identities in light of the Nicene faith, reflecting the evolving fortunes and strategies of key actors in the fourth century. Faith formulas, initially crafted to unify, often generated unintended consequences, such as further fragmentation within communities. Through an interdisciplinary dialogue engaging theology, history, and philology, this panel seeks to illuminate the fluid interplay between theological identity and external influences. It aspires to shed light on how doctrinal texts functioned not only as theological markers but also as instruments of social and cultural negotiation. It aims to provide a broader understanding of how early Christian groups navigated the tensions between unity and division, self-definition and othering, within the complex landscape of the fourth century.