TRANS.SCRIPT

Public lecture by Christopher D. Schabel, PhD: ”Orthodox or Heretics? Radically Differing Latin Perspectives on Greek-Rite Christians in the Late Middle Ages”

In both Eastern and Western scholarship, the stereotype of medieval Latin approaches to Greek-rite Christianity is that those who are anachronistically called “Catholics” adopted a rather uniformly negative attitude toward those who are equally anarchronistically called “Orthodox.” While medievalists and Byzantinists, as well as modern Catholics and Orthodox, disagree on the level and meaning of this medieval Western hostility against most Eastern Christians, they nevertheless share the belief that this hostility was basically monolithic. In this talk, based on research carried out over the past three decades, I argue that this was not the case, and that many if not most Latin theologians, especially the Franciscans and their allies, considered Greek-rite Christians orthodox, not heretics. Nevertheless, the Dominicans, led by Thomas Aquinas, had a darker view, and it was the Dominican approach that dominated the Western side of the discussions just before, during, and after the Council of Florence.
https://ts.centre.ubbcluj.ro/2026/02/25/orthodox-or-heretics/

On October 24th 2025, the „George Bariţiu” Institute of History, of the Romanian Academy branch in Cluj-Napoca, together with the TRANS.SCRIPT Centre (Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai), will organize the International Workshop Late Mediaeval and Early Modern Papal Documentation in Local Context. Contrasts and Nuances. The event is supported by the project GAR 2023-107: RO-VAT. Papal and Curial Letters in Romania (ca. 1250-1600).

This one-day workshop intends to explore the intersections between local and papal history, focusing on relevant instances in which the vantage point of the pontifical documentation is supported, nuanced, or even contradicted and substituted by pieces of information transmitted in close spatial correlation with those who sought guidance from the authoritative voice of the Apostolic See. Certainly, textually transmitted sources are the most obvious supporters of this collaborative line of argumentation; however, elements of a material and/or visual nature can wonderfully suggest additional, fresh, and appropriate directions of investigation.

The Online Event can be joined accessing the link in our website.

ts.centre.ubbcluj.ro

We are delighted to welcome participants to the YRI Summer School 2025, designed especially for Young Researchers and Innovators: "Turning a New Leaf. Unexplored Central-European Bookscapes (1500–1800)", taking place 21–25 July 2025 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Hosted by the Faculty of History and Philosophy at Babeș-Bolyai University, this immersive program brings together early-career scholars from across Europe for a vibrant week of theoretical training and hands-on workshops, fostering a dynamic and collaborative learning environment.
We wish all participants an inspiring and rewarding experience — and encourage you to make the most of both the program and the many opportunities offered by the city of Cluj-Napoca.
This event is organized as part of the COST Action CA23137 “Print Culture and Public Spheres in Central Europe (1500–1800)”, a European research network dedicated to exploring print culture and forms of public communication in the region.
For more information, visit: https://ts.centre.ubbcluj.ro/2025/07/17/yri-ss-ca23137/.