Banca de DEFESA: ISABELY GURGEL DE CASTRO

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ISABELY GURGEL DE CASTRO
DATE: 08/04/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Meet - Online
TITLE:

THE CONSTRUCTION AND AFFIRMATION OF A SPACE FOR MEMORY: JOHN DAMASCENE AND THE DEBATES ON ICONOCLASM (730-843)

KEY WORDS:

Iconoclasm; Icon; Space of Memory; Cultural Memory; John of Damascus.

PAGES: 162
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: História
SUMMARY:

This dissertation analyzes the three treatises by the monk John of Damascus (c. 675 - c. 750) based on the theory of memory space and cultural memory developed by German intellectuals Aleida Assmann (2011) and Jan Assmann (1988; 2008). In this process, in order to establish a relationship between the Syrian monk's texts and the concepts, a historiographical gap was noted regarding the role of memory in the source analyzed. As a result, it was found that the debate about memory in Damascene's treatises revolves around the icon, a fundamental imagery element in Christian liturgy. The relevance of holy images is also linked to their pedagogical function in the Byzantine setting of the 8th and 9th centuries, the period when Iconoclasm took place. Thus, it can be conceived that Iconoclasm and the treatises of John Damascene are intrinsically related, since the Syrian monk wrote the discourses to defend the use of images against the policy of eliminating holy images in the Byzantine Empire. In this context, there were two groups within the movement: the iconoclasts (against icons) and the iconophiles (in favor of icons). These groups were in constant conflict during the Byzantine iconoclasm period, disputing the legitimacy of the doctrine surrounding icons. However, it was not only theology that the iconoclasts and iconophiles disputed, as memory was also a subject of discussion. Thus, this research seeks to analyze the icon as a space of memory, seeking to interpret the disputes over holy images as a stimulus for the consolidation of the presence of these representations or the modification of cultural memory. This is the problem of the research, whose main objective is to verify the icon as a memorial, which can be understood as a space of memory based on the theory of the Assmann couple. Next, to analyze the basic purpose of the study, we turn to methodological issues. Thus, through the interpretation of Hans Belting (2009), icons are understood as part of Byzantine society, and
through the analysis of Laurence Bardin (2011), we can understand the reason for the most recurring words or subjects in the treatises. With the methodological assistance of Belting (2009) and Bardin (2011), it is possible to examine the treatises studied. Through this, it is also possible to investigate the modus operandi of Byzantine historiography to examine Iconoclasm. For a deeper relationship between the source studied and historical production, it was verified how the writings of John Damascene greatly influenced different fields, helping to spread the memory of the iconophiles. In general terms, this dissertation aims to examine the treatises of John of Damascus in order to verify whether the research problem and main objective are relevant, using the concepts of memory space and cultural memory of the Assmann couple to understand the problem of the icon as a memorial. 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interno - ***.879.139-** - JOHNNI LANGER - UFPB
Presidente - 1543236 - MARCIA SEVERINA VASQUES
Externo à Instituição - RENATO VIANA BOY - UFPE