Curriculum Vitae

Dragoş Mîrşanu

Personal Information

§ Full Name: Dragoş Gabriel Mîrşanu.

§ Name Spellings: may appear printed or on-line with the alternative spellings Dragos Mirsanu, Dragoş G. Mîrşanu and D. G. Mîrşanu (in Russian, Д. Г. Мыршану) or misspelled as Dragoş Mârşanu and Dragos Marsanu.

§ Date and Place of Birth: 23/02/1977, Iasi (Romania).

§ Nationality: Romanian.

§ Marital Status: single.

§ Addresses: Afd. gesch. kerk en theologie, St.-Michielsstraat 6, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Permanent: Str. Izvor no. 8, bl. 643B, ap. 19, 700705 Iasi, Romania.

Objective

Doctoral Studies in Historical Theology [PhD thesis in preparation, expected 2008]

Topic: The Politics of Otherness. Arianism of Barbarians in Late Antiquity.

http://www.theo.kuleuven.be/page/doctoraltheses/288/

Research Interests

The Church and the transformation of the Mediterranean world in Late Antiquity (4th - 7th centuries), with special interest in topics such as Christianity of the ‘barbarian’ peoples, history of mission and conversion, orthodoxy and heresy, history of late Arianism, Patristics.

Byzantine History and Theology, esp. the relationship between Byzantium and the West. The Post-Byzantine 17th century in Southern and Eastern Europe, with special concern for the Orthodox Confessions of Faith and topics relating to Cultural History.

History of the Christian doctrine, esp. the problem with the concept of ‘doctrinal development’ in patristic, post-patristic and Orthodox theology. The Origin and Evolution of Anti-Trinitarian Doctrines in Modern and Contemporary Christianity.

The challenge of different historiographical approaches to the first centuries of the Christian era, such as Early Church History, Early Christianity, Christian Antiquity, Late Antiquity. Contemporary methodological turns in ecclesiastical historiography, e.g. dealing with the concept of ‘heresy’.

Education

2004 – (200 Faculty of Theology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

- PhD – earned entirely in English

History of the Church and Theology

2002 – 2004 Graduate School of Theology, Univ. of Nijmegen, The Netherlands

- Master’s degree (first class) - earned entirely in English

Intercultural Theology/ Eastern Christian Studies

2000 – 2001 Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Bucharest, Romania

- Master’s degree (first class)

Church History/ History of Byzantine Civilisation

1995 – 1999 Faculty of Orthodox Theology, “Al.I. Cuza” Univ. of Iasi, Romania

- Bachelor’s degree

Pastoral Theology/ Church History

1991 – 1995 “P. Moisil“ I.T. High School of Iasi, Romania

Research Experience

2002, April 6th - May 26th – The Institute of Eastern Christian Studies in Nijmegen, The Netherlands:

o Individual Research Project (Clovis and the Arian West).

Teaching Experience

2006, second semester – substitute lecturer for classes of the course ‘History of Church and Theology: Ancient Church’, Faculty of Theology, K. U. Leuven.

Lectures (Communications)

Given

Past and Present of the Romanian Orthodox Church: A View from within. Katholieke Vereniging voor Oecumene Athanasius en Willibrord (‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, 24 January 2003).

· Keywords: Romanian Orthodox Church: present time.

The Arianism of Barbarians as Diplomatic Currency in the Late Antique Mediterranean World. On the occasion of the working meeting of the Department of History of Church and Theology of the Faculty of Theology of the K.U. Leuven (Leuven, 27 May 2005).

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Arianism, Barbarians

From Myth-Study to Myth-Making: The Literary Mircea Eliade. Within the framework of the ‘Eliade Focus-Group’ organized by New Europe College. Institute for Advanced Studies (Bucharest, 16 December 2005).

· Keywords: Mircea Eliade; History of Religions; Literature, Fiction Writing

(Un)acceptable Otherness: Imperial Attitudes toward the Arianism of the Barbarians from Theodosius I until the Age of Justinian. The 21st International Congress for Byzantine Studies (London, 21-26 August 2006).

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Arianism, Barbarians

A Christian ‘Holy War’ in Late Antiquity: The Arianism of the Barbarians as a Justification for the Recovery of the Roman West. The 6th Conference of the European Association for the History of Religions (Bucharest, 20-23 September 2006).

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Arianism, Barbarians

Gaining and Losing: Reflections upon Contemporary Orthodox and Catholic Theological Education. Encounters between the European East and West. A Theological Perspective. An international conference organized by the Faculty of Theology of K.U. Leuven, the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv and the Monastery of Chevetogne (Leuven-Chevetogne, 10-13 May 2007).

· Keywords: Orthodox Theological Education; Catholic Theological Education

The Double Testimony to the Martyrdom of Epictetus and Astion at Halmyris (Late 3rd c. CE). Within the framework of the doctoral seminar ‘Aspects of the History of Early Christianity’ organized at the Faculty of Theology of the K.U. Leuven (Leuven, 25 May 2007).

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Hagiography; Christian Archaeology

Early Gothic History and Arianism. On the occasion of the working meeting of the Department of History of Church and Theology of the Faculty of Theology of the K.U. Leuven (Leuven, 18 Jan. 2008).

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Arianism, Barbarians; Goths

Conference Panel Organisation

Panel on the topic „Christianity and Neighbouring Religions in Late Antiquity”. The 6th Conference of the European Association for the History of Religions (Bucharest, 20-23 September 2006).

· Keywords: History of Religions; Early Christianity

Memberships

2004, November – Romanian Association for the History of Religions, affiliated to EASR and IAHR.

Scholarships

2002, February – Research Scholarship awarded by The Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Nijmegen, The Netherlands (The Prospekt 2002 Programme).

2002, April – Research Scholarship awarded by the Graduate School of Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, for two-year course in Theology (M.A.)

2004, April – Research Scholarship awarded by the Faculty of Theology, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, for first of a four-year course in Theology (Ph.D.)

2005, April – Research Scholarship awarded by the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, for a one to four-year course in Theology (Ph.D.). Renewed 2006, 2007.

 Languages

Scientific command of English (Fluent); French (Good); Italian (Average); Spanish (Reading only); Portuguese (Reading only); Romanian (Native).

Non-Academic Professional Experience

2001, June 26th – 2002, August 20th – The “Three Hierarchs Monastery”, Iaşi, Romania

· Museum curator (Church history and art during the 17th c.)

Publications

Unpublished Theses

The Arian Christianity of the Goths: The Politics of Heresy in the Roman-Byzantine Age. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, 2001. [in Romanian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Goths

The Politics of Otherness: Arianism and Orthodoxy in the Ostrogothic Kingdom and the Late Antique Mediterranean World. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Graduate School of Theology, Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen, Nijmegen, 2004.

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Goths; Ostrogoths

Books edited

In preparation:

Lactantius, De mortibus persecutorum - Despre moartea persecutorilor. Bilingual edition. Romanian trans. by C. Bejan. With an Introduction and Notes by D. Mirsanu. Iaşi: Polirom, 2008. [in Romanian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Patristics; Lactantius

A. Louth, D. Mirsanu and M. Neamtu (eds.), Christianity and Neighbouring Religions in Late Antiquity (Proceedings of the 6th EASR Conference in Bucharest, 20-23 September 2006). Prospective date of publication: 2009.

· Keywords: History of Religions; Early Christianity.

Book Chapters, Journal Articles, Encyclopaedia Entries

“Peter Mogila of Kiev, ‘The Orthodox Confession of the East’: Specifications Regarding the History of the First Edition and its Details of Publication: Amsterdam, Joan Blaeu, 1666,” Sinodul de la Iasi si Sfântul Petru Movila, 1642-2002 [The Synod of Iasi and St. Peter Mohyla, 1642-2002]. Iasi: Trinitas, 2002, 79-92. [in Romanian, with English abstract]

· Keywords: Eastern Orthodoxy; Orthodox Confessions; Peter Mogila

“Vandals,” Pravoslavnaya Enciklopediya, v. 5. Moscow, 2003, 546-549. [in Russian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Vandals

“Vulfila/Ulfila” Pravoslavnaya Enciklopediya, v. 10. Moscow, 2005, 28-29. [in Russian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Goths; Ulfila

“The Romanian Orthodox Church. Aspects of Religious Life in Romania,” The Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 58, no. 1-2 (2006) 105-124.

· Keywords: Romanian Orthodox Church: present time.

“Old News Concerning Peter Mogila’s ‘Orthodox Confession’: the First Edition Revisited,” Archæus: Études d’Histoire des Religions 10, no. 1-2 (2006) 273-286. [Revised English version of the 2002 title]

· Keywords: Eastern Orthodoxy; Orthodox Confessions; Peter Mogila

“Origen and his Legacy in Late Antiquity – a chronological table” in Origen, Omilii, comentarii si adnotari la Geneza, Iasi: Polirom, 2006, 13-41. [in Romanian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Patristics; Origen

“The Bible as a Multicultural Phenomenon: Saul’s Conversion on the Way of Damascus,” Inter: Romanian Review for Theological and Religious Studies (Cluj-Napoca) I, no. 1-2 (2007) 434-439.

· Keywords: Bible; Exegesis; St. Paul the Apostle

“Epiphanius, ‘Ancoratus’ and the Otherness of Faith”. In Epiphanius Salaminis/Epifanie al Salaminei, Ancoratus. Bilingual edition. Romanian trans. by O. Coman, Introduction by D. Mîrşanu. Iaşi: Polirom, 2007, 17-38. [in Romanian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Patristics; Epiphanius of Salamis

“An Example of a Christian-Islamic Dialogue in the 9th Century: The Correspondence of al-Hāshimī and al-Kindī,” Basiliana (Iaşi) I (2007). Forthcoming. [in Romanian, with English abstract]

· Keywords: History of Religions; Apologetics; Christianity; Islam

“Constantine in Lactantius’ De mortibus”. In Lactantius, Despre moartea persecutorilor. Iaşi: Polirom, 2008. Forthcoming. [in Romanian]

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Lactantius; Constantine

“An Orthodox ‘Holy War’ in Late Antiquity? The Arianism of the Barbarians as a Justification for the Recovery of the Roman West” in A. Louth, D. Mirsanu and M. Neamtu (eds.), Christianity and Neighbouring Religions in Late Antiquity.

· Keywords: Early Christianity; Barbarians; Arianism; Justinian

In preparation:

“Astronomy, Meteorology and Religion: The Case of the Celestial Signs of the Emperor Constantine.”

· Keywords: Science and Religion; Early Christianity; Constantine

“Purgatory between West and East during the Thirteenth Century.”

· Keywords: Medieval Christianity; East-West Schism; Purgatory

Reviews and short notices

‘Fifty Years of Prosopography: The Later Roman Empire, Byzantium and Beyond’, ed. by Av. Cameron, London 2003, in Archæus: Études d’Histoire des Religions 8 (2004) 408-412.

‘Evagrius of Pontus: the Greek Ascetic Corpus’, Translation, Introduction and Commentary by R.E. Sinkewicz, Oxford 2003, in Archæus: Études d’Histoire des Religions 8 (2004) 455-456.

‘St. Silouane de l’Athos’, by J.-C. Larchet, Paris 2001, in Teologie şi viaţă [Iasi] 15, no. 1-6 (2005) 466-469. [In Romanian]

‘Bizanţ contra Bizanţ’ [Byzantium versus Byzantium], by D. Barbu, Nemira, Bucharest 2003, in The Journal of Eastern Christian Studies 57, no. 3-4 (2005) 319-321.

Miscellanea

“The Greatest Spiritual Event in Romania: the Feast of Saint Paraschiva in Iasi,” Pokrof 49, no. 4 (2002) 10-12. [in Dutch]

“Past and Present of the Romanian Orthodox Church.” In Oosterse christenen van Roemenië, ’s-Hertogenbosch, 2003, 1-17. [in Dutch]

“The Romanian Orthodox Church. A View from Within,” Pokrof 50, no.2 (2003) 17-19. [in Dutch]

“The Old Man Gerila,” [Living Christmas in Romania- Interview] Pokrof 50, no. 5 (2003) 10-11. [in Dutch]

“On Artistic Freedom and Blasphemy: A Recent Case from Romania,” Areopaag. Tijdschrift van het Theologisch Forum 6, no. 1 (2006) 24-25. [in Dutch: Blasfemie. Een greep uit de geschiedenis van het Christendom, with Liesbeth Leemans, Wim François and Karim Schelkens, 16-25]

“The Study of Late Antiquity,” Adevărul literar şi artistic, 15, no. 821, June 3 (2006) 6. [in Romanian]

“Eliade, from Scholar to Fiction Writer and Back,” Adevărul literar şi artistic 16, no. 862, March 14 (2007) 1 and 9. [in Romanian]