4.0552 New Electronic Seminar -- Ficino (1/95)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 2 Oct 90 21:31:33 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0552. Tuesday, 2 Oct 1990.
Date: Mon, 01 Oct 90 18:01:42 EDT
From: Willard McCarty <MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: new electronic seminar
Ficino: a new electronic seminar and bulletin-board
for Renaissance and Reformation studies
The Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies (CRRS), at
Victoria University in the University of Toronto, takes great
pleasure in announcing the creation of Ficino, an international
electronic seminar and bulletin-board devoted to all aspects of
the Renaissance and Reformation. The aim of Ficino is to further
lively discussion and rapid exchange of information amongst
scholars with an interest in its subject areas.
Although focussed on these areas, Ficino is meant to be
radically inclusive. Students of both Northern and Southern
European cultures are equally welcome, as are those in distant or
adjacent periods who wish to contribute their knowledge and
skills to the subject matter of the seminar. All approaches and
disciplines are equally relevant, but Ficino particularly
encourages the interdisciplinary breadth of learning appropriate
to Renaissance humanism.
As with Humanist, membership is open to anyone who submits a
biographical statement of background and interests. A form for
this purpose is appended below. My thanks to Steve DeRose for
the original from which it was taken.
Ficino has been named after Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499), a
Florentine Platonist, man of letters and prolific letter-writer,
in order to suggest not only the historical period on which it
focuses but also its intended manner. As you may know, Ficino
himself was preoccupied by intellectual communication, the ideal
form of which he found in the Platonic convivium. Thus he wrote
to Bernardo Bembo that, `The convivium ... rebuilds limbs,
revives humours, restores spirit, delights senses, fosters and
awakens reason. The convivium is rest from labours, release from
cares and nourishment of genius; it is the demonstration of love
and splendour, the food of good will, the seasoning of
friendship, the leavening of grace and the solace of life.' Our
seminar is designed to provide an electronic analogue of Ficino's
ideal institution; experience suggests that the new medium holds
great promise for our success.
Like Humanist as well, Ficino also uses ListServ to provide a
kind of `bulletin-board' or fileserver for various materials of a
less dynamic nature. Plans are in progress to make available on
the server the International Directory of Renaissance and
Reformation Associations and Institutes (Toronto: CRRS, 1990);
the Occasional Publications of the CRRS that deal with its
holdings; other bibliographies; calls for papers, announcements
for conferences and projects, and job postings; electronic texts;
information about relevant software; and so forth. The CRRS also
warmly encourages contributions to the archive from its members.
A biography recycled from Humanist is acceptable, although it
may have to be revised to place greater emphasis on interests in
the Renaissance or Reformation. It should follow the format
below as closely as possible.
- - - - - -- - - - Please fill in and mail to the editor
- - - - - (Any long item can be continued on following lines)
*NAME:
*INSTITUTION:
*DEPARTMENT:
*TITLE:
*EMAIL:
*PHONE:
*ADDRESS:
*POSTAL CODE:
*COUNTRY:
*PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
*BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH (ca. 100-500 words)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thank you.
Willard McCarty, editor
Senior Fellow
Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies
Victoria University in the University of Toronto
McCarty@VM.EPAS.UToronto.CA
William Bowen, associate editor
Chair, Publications Committee
Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies
Victoria University in the University of Toronto
Bowen@VM.EPAS.UToronto.CA