Project Duration:2023-2025

Donor:  Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia

Lead Partner:Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory of the University of Belgrade

Partners: Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Kosovska Mitrovica, Faculty of Philology of the University of Belgrade, Innovation Centre of the University of Niš, Institute of the Serbian Language of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts

IFDT Research Team: Dr Vladimir Cvetković, Dr Tamara Plećaš

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The purpose of the project is to provide an in-depth analysis of Neoplatonism in the religious traditions of the 14th and 15th century Balkans. The project examines how the Neoplatonic metaphysics shaped the Christian and Islamic traditions by focusing on its influence on theological and philosophical doctrines, religious practices, artistic and architectural expressions, and medical procedures.

Special attention will be paid to Neoplatonic elements in two mystical and monastic movements of this time: Christian Hesychasm, which originated among the monks in Mount Athos, and Islamic Sufism, popular among the Ottoman military.

The project employs the methodology of the synchronic approach, which consists of studying in parallel the Neoplatonic features in the Christian and Islamic religious traditions, namely in the Greek, Slavonic, and Arabic language and their ethnic variations. Moreover, for a better overview of the Neoplatonic elements and commensurability of the disciplinary approaches, the focus will be on the appropriation of two main sets of Neoplatonic concepts: one, many, and hierarchy on the one hand, and light, on the other. The significance of the project is twofold.

First, the project investigates the role of the Christian and Islamic religious traditions in shaping the identity of the Balkan people. Second, it demonstrates that the conceptual framework of Neoplatonism is common to both traditions. On a practical level, this research will help overcome the existing animosity between Balkan Christians and Muslims through the parallel investigation of both traditions and provide a new alley in the interreligious dialogue pertaining to the shared Neoplatonic legacy.