The past decades have witnessed a growing appreciation among Byzantinists for the value of homiletic discourse and liturgical literature more broadly. A vast and fertile field of literary history, the study of Byzantine homiletics gained momentum with the pioneering work of Albert Ehrhard and with the notable contributions of scholars such as Theodora Antonopoulou and the late Mary Cunningham, who charted homiletic landscapes both at the centre and periphery of the Byzantine oikoumene from the fourth to the fifteenth century. Their efforts to publish critical editions—often accompanied by modern translations—of an impressive array of Byzantine homilies have significantly expanded our understanding of this genre’s scope, development, and cultural resonance. The richness and pervasiveness of homiletic discourse in Byzantine society and culture, as well as its widespread representation in manuscripts, warrant continued efforts to explore uncharted or understudied corpora preserved in manuscript collections or early printed editions. Moreover, the field now calls for a thorough reassessment of the literary merits, theological tenor, social implications, and historical relevance of Byzantine homilies. The proposed Thematic Session seeks to advance the study of homiletic discourse in late Byzantium by examining how prominent homilists—including Gregory Palamas, Kallistos I, Neilos Kerameus, Isidore Glabas, Neilos II of Rhodes, and Joseph Bryennios—reflected on and responded to the strenuous social, political, and theological conditions of their time. The analysis of their homiletic corpora offers valuable insights into the vibrant intellectual milieu of late Byzantium and the multiple challenges faced by its society, while also underscoring the versatility of the homily as a vehicle of spiritual renewal, social critique, political ideology, and polemical engagement, as well as its dynamic intersections with art and ritual performance.
The Prophet Zechariah is a relatively neglected figure in the Byzantine homiletic tradition, at least with regard to texts written specifically in his honour. This is largely because references to Zechariah are usually embedded in discourses on the Nativity of his son, Saint John the Baptist, whose cult was one of the most widespread in…
The Palamite controversy (ca. 1338-1368) left an indelible mark on the development of late Byzantine pneumatology. Influenced by both pro- and anti-Latin treatises of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the emphasis on the distinction between the hypostasis and the operation (energeia) of the Spirit, associated especially with the writings of Gregory Palamas (ca. 1296-1357), would…
Joseph Bryennios (c. 1350–c. 1431) was arguably one of the most distinguished theologians of Late Byzantium. A fervent apologist and prolific orator, Bryennios curated his vast oeuvre in two autograph editions: the ‘Cretan Treatises’ and the ‘Constantinopolitan Homiliary’. Comprising forty-four pieces with various foci (dogmatic, festal, apologetic, circumstantial, etc.), the Homiliary intriguingly incorporates—often verbatim—vast portions…
This paper examines how homilies functioned as vehicles for articulating resistance strategies, mobilizing collective action, and reimagining political authority during times of siege. While ecclesiastical homilists like Isidore Glabas and Makarios Makres used homiletical frameworks to address spiritual renewal, other authors like Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos and Demetrios Chrysoloras adapted homiletical forms to advance political…