International Conference Organized by the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, held from June 4-7, 2026 in Sibiu, Romania.
The international conference Imagining the Body: Metaphors in Early Christian Literature and Beyond took place on June 4–7, 2026, and was hosted by the “St. Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology at “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu.
The event was organized as part of the international research project IMAGO – How do images speak? The dynamics of figures, metaphors, and symbols in Christian discourse and beyond (SNSF, Second Swiss Contribution, Grant No. 230566), funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through the MAPS program—Multilateral Academic Projects.
The academic consortium brings together the University of Bern (Switzerland), through the Institute of Old Catholic Theology within the Faculty of Theology; “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu; and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (Bulgaria), through their respective Faculties of Theology. International coordination of the project is provided by Prof. Dr. Georgiana Huian of the University of Bern. The organizers also highlighted the contribution of Prof. Dr. Angela Berlis, director of the Institute of Old Catholic Theology in Bern, to the development and strengthening of academic collaboration among the partner institutions.
The conference was attended by faculty members, researchers, doctoral candidates, and students from Romania, Switzerland, and Bulgaria, who came together for an interdisciplinary dialogue focused on corporeal imagery, metaphors, and symbolic structures in early Christian literature and European cultural traditions.
The opening remarks and message of blessing from His Eminence Laurențiu, Archbishop of Sibiu and Metropolitan of Transylvania, were delivered by Rev. Assoc. Prof. Dr. habil. Constantin Horia Oancea, dean of the “St. Andrei Șaguna” Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Sibiu.
In his remarks, the dean presented the objectives of the IMAGO project, which is dedicated to studying how images function as metaphors and symbols capable of conveying religious and cultural meanings beyond denominational or linguistic barriers.
At the same time, one of the project’s practical outcomes was presented: a comprehensive conceptual map of corporeal, organic, and inorganic images, developed by members of the IMAGO team and visually designed by Dr. Dragoș Boicu and Dr. Teodor Avramov, with updates provided by Rev. Dr. Marius Crișan.
“Academic Triangle”
Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Naydenov, dean of the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” highlighted the importance of collaboration among the partner universities and described the formation of a true “academic triangle” between Bern, Sibiu, and Sofia.
He emphasized that the project provides a framework for academic dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox tradition and Swiss Old Catholic theology, strengthening cooperation among communities and institutions belonging to different ecclesial and cultural contexts.
Biblical Metaphors, Bodily Imagery, and Theological Hermeneutics
The academic opening of the conference was delivered by Prof. Dr. Zoltán Kövecses (Budapest), who presented a lecture titled “The LIGHT Metaphor in the Bible,” dedicated to the symbolic and conceptual role of light in the narrative structure of the biblical text, from the Book of Genesis to Revelation.
During the thematic sessions, Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Naydenov analysed the anthropological dimensions of anger in the Old Testament, while Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Damjanova discussed the image of the eye in Christian iconography and its relationship to representations of contemplation and spiritual knowledge.
Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Ribolov traced the transformations of the concept of “face” from the Hebrew pānîm to the Greek prósopon, while Prof. Dr. Pavel Pavlov analysed the symbolism of the mouth and the tongue in the Slavic Christian literary tradition, beginning with the encomium dedicated to Saint Cyril.
Dr. Ioannis Kaminis presented a comparative analysis of the image of the mind in the works of Evagrius Ponticus and Saint John Cassian, while Dr. Teodor Abramov explored the symbolism of the shoulders in representations of power and authority, and Dr. Kalina Grigorova analysed the image of the hand in the miniatures of the Vienna Genesis manuscript (6th century).
The Theology of the Heart and the Imagery of Interiority
Research dedicated to the symbolism of the heart and the imagery of interiority occupied an important place at the conference. Rev. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Habil. Constantin Horia Oancea analysed the concept of multiplex cor in the Triodion and its relationship to biblical tradition. Dr. Dragoș Boicu examined the presence of the heart motif in the hymnography of the Menaion, and Rev. Dr. Radu-Gheorghe Gârbacea discussed representations of the heart in the Byzantine homiletic tradition.
Prof. Dr. Georgiana Huian addressed the image of the heart in modern theology as a metaphor for transformation and the reception of religious images between tradition and modernity.
The Imaginary of Ecclesial Identity
The ecclesiological dimension of the conference was represented by contributions dedicated to images of community and ecclesial identity. Dr. Magdalena Burlacu analysed the feminine and architectural figures in The Shepherd of Hermas, tracing the transformation of imagological matrices up to modern Old Catholic theology. Dr. Zaharia-Sebastian Mateiescu discussed the theme of the human being as an image of the Church in the theology of St. Maximus the Confessor.
The conference also included reflections on cosmic and literary imagery. Prof. Dr. Andrew Mellas addressed the image of the womb as a microcosm in Byzantine hymnography, Dr. Raluca Boboc discussed topoi of cultural identity and memory, and Dr. Ovidiu Matiu analysed echoes of apocalyptic imagery in contemporary literature.
The conference program thus included presentations dedicated to the liturgical and anthropological imagination, representations of the body and cultural memory, the relationship between image and language, the reception of biblical metaphors in the Christian tradition, and the circulation of religious symbols between the theological sphere and contemporary society.
At the end of each session, participants had the opportunity to continue the dialogue through questions and interdisciplinary discussions.
- Through the breadth of its international collaboration and the methodological rigor of the presentations, the Sibiu symposium demonstrated that contemporary theology can actively contribute to European reflection on images, symbols, and cultural identities. The results of the conference will be further capitalized upon through international academic publications and the research activities of the IMAGO consortium.
Report by Magdalena Burlacu and Georgiana Huian
Media Coverage:
Site Trinitas TV
YouTube Channel Trinitas TV
Official website of the Metropolis of Transylvania (by Magdalena Burlacu and Georgiana Huian)
Website of the Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Romania, with the photo gallery (by Magdalena Burlacu and Georgiana Huian)
Website of the Faculty of Theology, Sibiu (by Dragos Boicu).
Newspaper of the Patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, “The Light” (Ziarul Lumina) (by Ștefan Mărculeţ)
Sibiu Independent (by Călin Blaga)
Concept map on YouTube
