A CMEMS/PMRG Public Lecture, “A Renaissance Man in his [sixth-century Gaza] Monastery” by Dr Michael Champion (UWA), will follow the PMRG (Perth Medieval and Renaissance Group) Annual General Meeting:

Date: Wednesday 15 April
Time: AGM starts at 6pm, lecture at 6.40pm
Venue: Arts Lecture Room 6 (G.62, Ground Floor, Arts Building, UWA)

All welcome – come to both or just rock up for the lecture! No RSVP required.

The writings of Dorotheus of Gaza illumine life and thought in the monasteries of sixth century Palestine. Together with an extensive set of letters from two holy men in his monastery, they give a picture of the hopes and fears of the monastic community and its interactions with local officials, other religious groups, lay people, sophists and doctors. We catch glimpses of kleptomaniac monks, incipient drunkards, inter-religious friendships, medical practices, and a thriving exchange of commerce and ideas between the city of Gaza and its surrounding monasteries. Dorotheus’ continued use of classical rhetoric and medicine demonstrates close connections between classical and monastic education, and his writings continued to resonate in western monasticism and into early modern humanism. This talk will introduce Dorotheus and Palestinian monasticism, and trace some of its influence.