Perceptions of Just War in the Middle Ages, sessions at the 2025 International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, July 7–10, 2025
The Research Training Group “Byzantium and the Euro-Mediterranean Cultures of War” (JGU Mainz) invites scholars to submit paper proposals for a series of sessions on “Perceptions of Just War in the Middle Ages” at the IMC in Leeds, taking place from 7th to 10th July 2025. These sessions aim to explore the diverse theological, philosophical, legal, and cultural perspectives on Just War in medieval Europe and beyond, focusing on the distribution and evolution of associated knowledge traditions.
We welcome contributions on, but not limited to, the following topics:
1. Theological and philosophical foundations
- Just War doctrines and comparable concepts in Western Christian thought and in the Orthodox tradition (Byzantium, etc.)
- Jewish, Islamic or Oriental Christian views and debates on war and justice/righteousness
2. Legal frameworks
- Rules and norms for warfare in legal traditions
- Comparative analyses of different legal systems
3. Cultural and literacy representations
- Narratives and symbolisms of Just War in literature and historiography
- Iconography of justice and war in the visual arts
4. Historical case studies
- Analyses of specific wars and their justifications
- Chroniclers and historiographers on Just Wars
5. Ethical and moral debates
- Ethical justifications and criticisms of Just War
- Concepts of peace and their interactions with war ideologies