Updated Bibliography

Please visit our Bibliography page to find a recently updated version of a valuable resource for students of Boethius. Our thanks to Philip Edward Phillips for his excellent work on this project.

John Magee Named to the IBS Board of Trustees

In the general meeting of the International Boethius Society at the 49th International Congress on Medieval Studies, John Magee (University of Toronto) was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees by a unanimous vote. We congratulate Professor Magee and are grateful for his willingness to serve the Society.

CFP: The Making of Boethian Narratives

32nd Annual Illinois Medieval Association Conference: Medieval Narratives

Saint Louis University

Submission Deadline: November 10th

Conference Dates: February 20th-21st

Sponsor: International Boethius Society

The work of the sixth century philosopher, Boethius, was extremely influential on the process of fashioning narrative in the Middle Ages, especially his final work, The Consolation of Philosophy. In the twelfth century, Alan of Lille, Bernard Silvestris, Lawrence of Durham and Adelard of Bath, to name only a few, were inspired to produce narratives which worked with Boethian themes, and writers such as Dante and Chaucer wrestled with Boethian philosophy at the very core of their narrative efforts. Recent work has been done by Bridget K. Balint, Elizabeth Elliott, Eleanor Johnson and other critics investigating how Boethius influenced literary production, and the goal of this panel is to further this project. What strategies did writers employ to incorporate Boethian themes into their narratives? How does The Consolation itself inform the medieval conception of narrative and the process of inventing narrative? In what ways did medieval thinkers perceive Boethian thought as creating or limiting narrative possibilities, both in terms of the writing and the interpretation of narrative? The International Boethius Society invites submissions of 300-350 word abstracts for 15-20 minute conference papers exploring such questions on the subject of Boethian narrative from any medieval disciplinary concentration, including literature, theology, philosophy, and history. Abstracts should be sent to Anthony G. Cirilla at acirilla@slu.edu by November 10th.

49th International Congress on Medieval Studies

Boethius in Kalamazoo
49th International Congress on Medieval Studies
May 8-11, 2014

The International Boethius Society sponsored a great session at the 2014 International Congress--excellent papers from devoted scholars:

Boethius and the Liberal Arts
Sponsor: International Boethius Society
Organizer: Philip Edward Phillips, Middle Tennessee State University

Session Chair: Anthony Cirilla, Saint Louis University

1. "A 6th-Century Portrait of Boethius in Ravenna" (View Video)
Ruth Dwyer, Independent Scholar

2. "Imagining the University: Boethian translatio studii in De disciplina scolarium"
Brooke Hunter, Villanova University

3. "Boethius in the Medieval Classroom: Knowledge Transfer and Nominal Compounds in Notker's German Adaptations of Boethius's Writings"
Nicolaus Janos Raag, Uppsala University, Sweden

Respondent: Noel Harold Kaylor, Jr., Troy University

Anthony, Brooke, Nicolaus, Ruth, and Harold after the session.

Brooke and Nicolaus during the Q&A.

 Ruth making her presentation.

Video of Ruth's presentation.

  Harold responding to the panel.

Revisiting the Legacy of Boethius in the Middle Ages

Harvard University, March 13-15, 2014

Many thanks to Joey McMullen and Erica Weaver, whose coordination with Professor Daniel Donoghue, Harvard's Department of English, and the Morton W. Bloomfield Fund produced a wonderful conference that featured engaging scholarship, stimulating discussion, and warm collegiality.

The outstanding papers presented during the conference sessions were capped off each night by keynote addresses by Susan Irvine (University College London), Eleanor Johnson (Columbia University), and Ann Astell (University of Notre Dame). [below]

The photos here capture some of the spirit of Boethian friendship enjoyed there at Harvard's Barker Center.