Borders and Borderness: Biblical Models and Their Influence in South Slavic Literatures and Cultures from the Middle Ages to Modern Times

Research team: Assoc. Prof. Nina Georgieva-Gagova, Assoc. Prof. Radoslava Stankova, Prof. Nikolay Aretov, Prof. Slaviya Burlieva


The question of biblical ideological and aesthetic models, as well as the role of the Bible in shaping not only medieval but also modern thinking, is among the earliest problems of humanitarian research. As for the South Slavic cultures, this problem is even more significant, as the specifics of the development of this region show that the biblical text has a huge influence on the creation of literary language and literature. On the other hand, the concepts of border and borderness actualize the fundamental issues of human identity and difference. In the biblical context, the term border refers both to connection (trusting openness, movement to the other) and to separation (introversion, self-isolation). In this sense, the border/borderness can be perceived as a sign of rapprochement, but also a contradiction, a manifestation of a syncretic culture, but at the same time it can be a challenge to the established norms and forms of thinking. The participants in the project interpret these concepts mainly as extraterrestrial metaphors of cultural phenomena, but also take into account their axiological aspect.

Joint project with the Institute of Slavic Studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences.