Senior Lecturer | Stockholm School of Eastern Christian Studies
Docent Thomas Arentzen
Thomas Arentzen studied theology at the University of Oslo and went on to do a PhD in early Christianity at Lund University. From 2015 to 2019 he conducted his own postdoctoral research project Bodies in Motion: Religion and Corporeality in Late Antiquity at the University of Oslo (funded by the Research Council of Norway) and spent spring term 2016 as Visiting Scholar at Brown University.
In 2018, he became Docent in Church History at Lund University. For the academic year 2018–19, he was awarded a fellowship in Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Arentzen’s research interests include Byzantine Christianity and ecology. He conducted the research project Beyond the Garden: An Ecocritical Approach to Early Byzantine Christianity (2019–2023 funded by the Swedish Research Council), which focused on trees in late ancient and Byzantine sources. He also participates in the Stanford-based network ACRE: Applied Collaboratory for Religion and Ecology. In 2021 he wrote the monograph Byzantine Tree of Life with two American colleagues. Arentzen also specialises in early Christian poetry and devotional literature and has explored popular piety and literary expressions of the Christian faith. His monograph The Virgin in Song studies representations of the Virgin Mary in late ancient poetry.
Arentzen serves as president of the scholarly society Collegium Patristicum Lundense and editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal Patristica Nordica Annuaria.
More Information
Education
Associate Professor, Lund University 2018
Ph.D., Lund University 2014
Cand.Philol., University of Oslo 2005
Cand. Mag., University of Oslo 2001
Publications
MONOGRAPHS
The Gospel of Trees. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2026 [in press].
The Gospel of the Trees. Oslo: Verbum, 2024.
Byzantine Tree Life: Christianity and the Arboreal Imagination (with Virginia Burrus & Glenn Peers). New Approaches to Byzantine History and Culture. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021.
The Virgin in Song: Mary and the Poetry of Romanos the Melodist. Divinations series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017.
Orthodox and Oriental Churches in Sweden. Stockholm: Swedish Commission for Government Support to Faith Communities, 2015.
Virginity Recast: Romanos and the Mother of God. Doctoral dissertation, Lund University 2014.
EDITED VOLUMES
Ecologising the Late Ancient and Byzantine Worlds (eds. Laura Borghetti & Thomas Arentzen). sera tela: Studies in Late Antique Literature and Its Reception. London: Bloomsbury, 2025.
Rethinking Gender in Orthodox Christianity (eds. Ashley Purpura, Thomas Arentzen, & Susan Ashbrook Harvey), Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2023.
Orthodox Tradition and Human Sexuality (eds. Thomas Arentzen, Ashley Purpura, & Aristotle Papanikolaou) Orthodox Christianity and Contemporary Thought. New York: Fordham University Press, 2022.
Wisdom on the Move: Late Antique Traditions in Multicultural Conversation. Essays in Honour of Samuel Rubenson, Vigiliae Christianae Supplements 161 (eds. Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Thomas Arentzen, Henrik Rydell Johnsén & Andreas Westergren) Leiden: Brill, 2020.
The Reception of the Virgin in Byzantium: Marian Narratives in Texts and Images (eds. Thomas Arentzen & Mary Cunningham) Cambridge University Press, 2019.
Between time and eternity: Eschatological perspectives in the early church(eds. Thomas Arentzen, Uffe H. Eriksen & Henrik Johnsén) Skellefteå: Artos Academic, 2016.
TRANSLATIONS
Romanos the Melodist: Songs about Women. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library 83. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2024.
“Romanos Melodos: Christmas Hymn 2 [Swedish trans. with introduction],” in Mariology, Svenskt Patristiskt Bibliotek VII (ed. Tord Fornberg) Skellefteå: Artos 2021, 177–188.
“Pseudo-Romanos: Kontakion on St Nicholas” [English trans. from Greek with Uffe H. Eriksen], Patristica Nordica Annuaria35 (2020), 126–138.
“The fairy godmother sings,” STREK 5 (2008): 52–59.
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS
“Weathering: Ancient Worlds Exposed” (with Laura Borghetti), Ecologising the Late Ancient and Byzantine Worlds (eds. Laura Borghetti & Thomas Arentzen) Bloomsbury 2025, 1–6.
“Physiologizing: The Meaning of Species Un/Ravelled,” in Ecologising the Late Ancient and Byzantine Worlds (eds. Laura Borghetti & Thomas Arentzen) Bloomsbury 2025, 137–146.
“The Akathistos Aniconically: Meditations on Unsettled Seeing” The Akathistos Hymnos and Intermedial Compositional Processes in Later Byzantium: Sung, Written, Painted (ed. Jon Cosme Cubas Diaz), Palgrave, 2025, 313–323.
“In the Shadows of Pillars” Syrian Stylites: Rereadings and Recastings of Late Ancient Superheroes (eds. Barbara Crostini & Christian Høgel), Transactions 26, Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul 2024, 129–138.
“Explicit Lyrics: Constantinopolitan Holy Week Revisited Towards the Prehistory of the Byzantine Liturgical Year: Festal Homilies and Festal Liturgies in Late Antique Constantinople (eds. Stefanos Alexopoulos & Harald Buchinger) Studies in Eastern Christian Liturgies, Münster: Aschendorff, 2024 [in press].
“Introducing Gender and Orthodox Christianity (with Ashley Purpura) in Rethinking Gender in Orthodox Christianity(eds. Purpura, Arentzen, & Harvey), Eugene: Pickwick 2023, 1–14.
“Sexuality and Orthodoxy: An Introduction” (with Ashley Purpura) in Orthodox Tradition and Human Sexuality (eds. Arentzen, Purpura, & Papanikolaou) New York: Fordham University Press 2022, 1–20.
“The Cry of God: Approaching the Outskirts of Mariology in the Akathistos,” Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies 4/2 (2021): 127–149.
“Some Early Christian Trees,” Studia Patristica. Vol. CIV – Papers presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019: Volume 1: Introduction; Historica (ed. Markus Vinzent) Leuven: Peeters Publishers, 2021, 127–137.
“Quickening substance, elemental yearning: A new materialist approach to Elias Blix’s baptismal hymn (145),’ The journal SANG 1–2 (2021): 57–67.
“Landscape Theology: Exploring the Outfields of the Telemarkian Dream Song,” Landscapes: The Journal of the International Centre for Landscape and Language 10/1 (2020):
https://ro.ecu.edu.au/landscapes/vol10/iss1/3
“Pious trees in early Christianity” Swedish Theological Quarterly96/2 (2020): 119–132.
“Sex and the City: Intercourse in Holy Week” Journal of Early Christian Studies 28/1 (2020): 115–147.
“Wisdom on the Move: An Introduction” (with Henrik Rydell Johnsén & Andreas Westergren) in Wisdom on the Move: Late Antique Traditions in Multicultural Conversation, VCS 161 (eds. Harvey, Arentzen, Johnsén & Westergren) Brill 2020, 1–10.
“Rubenson on the Move: A Biographical Journey (with Henrik Rydell Johnsén & Andreas Westergren) in Wisdom on the Move: Late Antique Traditions in Multicultural Conversation,VCS 161 (eds. Harvey, Arentzen, Johnsén & Westergren) Brill 2020, 247–250.
“Arboreal Lives: Saints among the Trees in Byzantium and Beyond” Scandinavian Journal of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies5 (2019): 113–136.
“Conversing with Clothes: Germanos and Mary’s Belt” The Garb of Being: Embodiment and Other Pursuits of Holiness in Late Ancient Christianity (eds. Georgia Frank, Susan Holman & Andrew Jacobs), New York: Fordham University Press 2019, 57–78.
“The Dialogue of Annunciation: Germanos of Constantinople versus Romanos the Melodist The Reception of the Virgin in Byzantium: Marian Narratives in Texts and Images (eds. Arentzen & Cunningham), Cambridge University Press 2019, 151–169.
“Introduction (with Mary Cunningham) in The Reception of the Virgin in Byzantium: Marian Narratives in Texts and Images (eds. Arentzen & Cunningham) Cambridge University Press 2019, 1–13.
“Soundscapes of Salvation: Resounding Refrains in Jewish and Christian Liturgical Poems, (with Ophir Münz-Manor) Studies in Late Antiquity 3/1 (2019): 36–55.
“Towards the flesh's zero point: the grotesque death in Byzantine hymns” Hymnology: Nordic Journal 1–2 (2018): 33–40.
“The Orthodox Churches – Eastern tradition-bearers Diversity and unity: Knowledge of Christianity (ed. Ola Tjørhom), Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk 2018: 125–150.
“The Virgin in Hades Round Trip to Hades in the Eastern Mediterranean Tradition: Visits to the Underworld from Antiquity to Byzantium (eds. Gunnel Ekroth & Ingela Nilsson), Brill 2018: 287–303.
“Struggling with Romanos’s ‘Dagger of Taste’ Knowing Bodies, Passionate Souls: Sense Perceptions in Byzantium (eds. Harvey & Mullett), Washington DC: Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Symposia and Colloquia 2017: 169–182.
“Dissolving with Lazarus: Late Ancient Liturgical Bodies in Pieces” Studia Theologica 71 (2017): 173–198.
“Voices Interwoven: Refrains and Vocal Participation in the Kontakia” Yearbook of Austrian Byzantinist Studies 66 (2016): 1–10.
“The Theology of the Flesh God is always greater. On the theological language of the Church Fathers (eds. Kristiansen & Solberg), Oslo: Novus forlag, 2016: 223–239.
“Your virginity shines‘ – The Attraction of the Virgin in the Annunciation Hymn by Romanos,” StudiesPatristics 68 (2013): 125–132.
“The Beauty and the Harlot – Romanos’ Hymn on the Sinner who Anoints Jesus Beauty and worship (eds. Rise & Sæther), Trondheim: Akademika forlag, 2013: 145–160.
“Hear what I am, for I am the one you see!” – Representations of Mary in Akathist Hymn Old Romanos’ Annunciation hymn,” Swedish Theological Quarterly 87 (2011): 162–168.
“Come and join in!‘ Romanos’ Christmas carol and its liturgical context,” Norwegian Theological Journal 2 (2006): 122–137.
“Mary Retold,” Ancient Jew Review 31 July 2019: https://www.ancientjewreview.com/articles/2019/7/31/ publications- mary-retold
“Romanos in Manuscript: Some Observations on the Patmos Kontakarion” (with Derek Krueger) in Proceedings of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies, Belgrade, 22-27 August 2016: Round Tables (eds. Krsmanović & Milanović), Serbian National Committee of AIEB: 2016: 648–654.
“Early Christian Eschatology” (co-authored with Eriksen & Johnsén) in Between time and eternity:Eschatological perspectives in the early church (Skellefteå: Artos Academic, 2016), 11–22.
“Byzantine Postures: Grotesque bodies and sensual approaches in Constantinopolitan poetry,” The New Society of Letters at Lund: Yearbook 2016: 5–20.
“Prologue” (co-authored with Andreas Westergren in) Patristica Nordica Annuaria 31 (2016): 3–4.
”Syriac Orthodox Christianity and Sweden Meeting is growing: a study in multiculturalism (ed. Flodell) Skellefteå: Artos, 2015: 339–352.
“The Orthodox Church in Modern Norway A Short History of the Orthodox Church in Western Europe in the 20th Century (ed. Chaillot) Paris: InterOrthodox Dialogue, 2006: 138–147 [subsequently published in French, German, and Romanian trans.].
“Between Midgard and Miklagard. Lives of saints across national borders” Medieval Forum 1–2 (2003): 161–171.
“Rain and wool: Poetic interpretations of the incarnation,” Signum: Catholic orientation on church, culture, society 5 (2020): 45–51.
“Byzantine Poetess Kassiani Goes Popular (with Toma Paraskevi et al.) Mixed Grill 27 February 2020: http://www.mixgrill.gr/ar66407en-byzantine-poetess-kassiani-goes-popular.html
“Holy Arousal” [blogpost], Public Orthodoxy blog:https://publicorthodoxy.org/2019/02/26/holy-arousal/
“Between Sin and Desire: Saint Kassia in Holy Week” Segl: Catholic Annual Journal for Religion and Society 2016: 241–243.
“Songs of the Body” Pilgrim 2 (2014): 44–47.
“No-one is saved alone” New Norwegian church magazine 6 (2010): 48–50.
“A new wedding in Cana. The wedding at Cana in the marriage rite of the Orthodox Church,” New Norwegian church magazine 1 (2009): 9–13.
Lectures and Presentations
INVITED ACADEMIC LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
“Early Christian Tree Behaviour”, invited plenary lecture, Nineteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies in Oxford5–9 August 2024.
“Byzantine Tree Life [book presentation]” at the Nova Forum for Catholic Thought (Science & Religion lecture series), University of Southern California, 8 November 2023.
“A Venture into Dark Mariology” invited talk in the series Global Approaches to Sacred Space, Stanford University, 6 November 2023.
“Bleeding Elms and a Breath of Oak: Healing in the Hills of Vounaina,” invited paper at the session Entangling Meaning in the Natural World: Between Resource and Practice sponsored by ReMeDHe (Religion, Medicine, Disability, Health, and Healing in Late Antiquity), at European Academy of Religion, St Andrews, 20 June 2023.
“Eating the Gospel: Food for Thought in Romanos the Melodist,” keynote at O Taste and See that the Lord is Good: Church Music, Food, and Nourishment, The Tenth International Conference on Orthodox Church Music, Joensuu (Finland), 12 June 2023.
“Arborealising,” at God and the Human Future, Spring Meeting: Roots, Matters, Lessons, Westar Institute, 10 June 2023.
“Gender and Sexuality in Orthodox Christianity,” at the symposium Scrutinising the Limitations of Freedom of Religion or Belief, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, 8 March 2023.
“Dendrites and other Christian tree lives, lecture at Historiska Studentföreningen KLIO, Lund, 9 Feb 2023.
“Religious Plant Behaviour – or: What Did Christian Trees in Byzantium Do? Searching for the Sacred lecture series, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, 29 Sept 2022.
“Finding Myself in Harlot Stories,” in the keynote session Privileged Texts and the Arts, SBL International Meeting, Salzburg, 17–21 July 2022.
“Excursions in a virgin landscape,” at the symposium Mary in the early church, Lund University, 16 June 2022.
“The Akathistos Aniconically,” at Sung, Written and Painted: The ἈseatedὕMnos and Intermedial Compositional Processes in Later Byzantium, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 2–3 June 2022.
“Sensations of bark: getting close to the trees of the early Church,” that Trees, pelicans and dragons – the conception of nature in the Early Church(Patristic Forum, Copenhagen University, 31 Jan 2022.
“Trees with an Attitude,” Nature and the Environment: The 53Ground floorSpring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, University of Birmingham, 27–29 March 2021.
“Approaching Byzantine Trees: Ecology and Byzantine Christianity, guest presentation for the research programme Authority, Materiality, and Media (University of Southern Denmark), 23 Nov 2020.
“Contemplating the Virgin Landscape: The Botanical Theotokos in the Akathistos,” Contemplative Traditions – Theory & Practice. A Symposium in Honour of Professor Andrew Louth, St Ignatios College, Sigtuna, 12–15 Dec 2019.
“Pious Trees in Early Christianity,” Reader Installation Lecture, Lund University, 12 Nov 2019.
“Arboreal Lives: Saints among the Trees in Byzantium and Beyond” The Rydén Lecture 2019, Uppsala 25 Oct 2019.
“Speaking with Mary: St. Romanos, a Voice, and the Virgin,” guest lecture at Catholic University of America, 26 March 2019.
“Between Abjection and Seduction: Adventures in Late Ancient Holy Week, guest lecture at Duke University, 22 Jan 2019.
“Holy Week Discombobulations at the international conference Liturgy and Hymnody in Byzantium across Centuries and Spaces, 22–23 Nov 2018, Moscow Centre for Medieval Studies, National Research University – Higher School of Economics.
“Imagining the Virgin in the Byzantine Night,” guest lecture at the Norwegian Institute at Athens, 1 Feb 2018.
“The Voice of the Virgin – Or How Romanos the Melodist Taught Mary to Sing,” guest lecture at the University of Cyprus, 11 Oct 2017.
“Performing Holy Week” at the workshop Religious Performance in Byzantium, Uppsala University, 23–24 May 2017.
“Dissolving Bodies in Byzantium at the symposium Body, Culture, Religion: Byzantine Views. Brown University. 12 March 2016.
“Between spittle and a dash of perfume: Grotesque bodies and sensual faith in Late Antique hymns” at the symposium Beauty and the Beast: contrasts in early Christian aesthetics. Lund University 8 Sept 2015.
“Voices Interwoven: Refrains and Vocal Participation in Late Ancient Kontakia,” at the conference Sacred Song in the Late Antique and Byzantine East: Comparative Explorations. Brown University. 4–6 May 2015.
“In between Metaphors: Marian Imagery in Romanos the Melodist,” guest lecture at Aarhus University. 20 April 2015.
“Oriental and Syriac Orthodox Churches in Sweden at the conference Multiculturalism in Sweden, in churches and denominations. Sigtuna 21–22 Nov 2014.
“Blizzard and a smoking mountain: the Virgin Mary in the poetry of Romanos, guest lecture at the Newman Institute, Uppsala 13 Oct 2014.
“The Virgin in Hades at the conference Round-trip to Hades: Visits to the Underworld in the Eastern Mediterranean Tradition. Uppsala University. 9–12 Oct 2014.
“Ambiguous Marian Imagery in Early Byzantine Hymns” at Imagery in Pre-Modern Poetry: A Global Perspective (3rd Johannes Pedersen Seminar). Copenhagen University. 9–10 Oct 2014.
“Struggling with Romanos’s ‘Dagger of Taste’,” Knowing Bodies, Passionate Souls: Sense Perceptions in Byzantium(Dumbarton Oaks Spring Symposium 2014), Washington DC. 25–27 April 2014.
“New Songs for the Virgin Patristic Forum, Copenhagen University, 17 Jan 2011.
“Russian Impressions: Orthodox Encounters and Scandinavian Memory” Orthodoxy in Russian Culture and Society, the Norwegian University Centre in St. Petersburg. 27–28 May 2010.
PAPERS READ AT CONFERENCES AND PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
“Before Romanos: The Genre and Artistry of Three Early Kontakia” [with Derek Krueger], 24th International Congress of Byzantine Studies, Venice & Padua, 22–27 Aug 2022.
“Reading with a virus in the body, at the symposium Ecocriticism beyond the West: New perspectives in the age of corona, Uppsala 10 Dec 2020.
“In the Shadow of Pillars, at The Reception of Stylites: Re-readings and Re-castings of Late Ancient Syrian Super-Heroes, international workshop at Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, 10–11 Oct 2019.
“Early Christian Trees” Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies in Oxford 19–24 August 2019.
“Blushing Trees, Embracing Trunks: Byzantine Arboreal Behaviour,” Dumbarton Oaks Research Report 29 April 2019.
“Treed by Trunks: Beyond Early Christian Anthropomorphism,” at Trees and More: Ecological Thinking and the Ancient Christian Imagination (Larceny Symposium, Syracuse University) 6 April 2019.
“The continual line Hymnography as a Source for Early Constantinopolitan Festal Celebrations?” [with Stig Frøyshov] at Towards the Prehistory of the Byzantine Liturgical Year. Festal Homilies and Festal Liturgies in Late Antique Constantinople (University of Regensburg) 3–6 July 2018.
“Soundscapes of Salvation: Refrains and the Creation of Sonic Space in Christian and Jewish Liturgical Poetry [with Ophir Münz-Manor] From the Human Body to the Universe… Spatialities of Byzantine Culture, Uppsala, 18–21 May 2017.
“Open the Gate! Congregational Participation in Christian and Jewish Liturgical Poetry from Byzantium” [with Ophir Münz-Manor] 42nd Annual Byzantine Studies Conference, Cornell University 6–9 Oct 2016.
“Romanos in Manuscript: Some Observations on the Patmos Kontakarion [with Derek Krueger] 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies, Belgrade, 22–27 Aug 2016.
“Deformed Bodies in Late Ancient Hymns,” North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting, Chicago 26–28 May 2016.
“The Dialogue of Annunciation: Germanos of Constantinople versus Romanos the Melodist” Seventeenth International Conference on Patristic Studiesin Oxford 11–14 August 2015.
“A Matter of Taste: Salvation as Gustation in Early Christian Poetry,” The Aesthetics of Crossing: Experiencing the Beyond in Abrahamic Traditions, Utrecht University, 19–21 March 2015.
“The Breastfeeding Virgin in Romanos” The Byzantine Studies Conference 2012. Brookline 1–4 November 2012.
“‘Your virginity shines’ – The Attraction of the Virgin in the Annunciation Hymn by Romanos,” Sixteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies in Oxford 8–12 August 2011.
“Reading Figural Reading in Romanos Melodos” Stories and Images – The Bible in the Early Church: Antioch & Syria, Lund University 24 Sept 2007.
”Romanos the Melodist – Christmas kontakion” Norwegian Committee for Byzantine Studies’ Annual Meeting, 27 Nov 2004.
—— Saggau, Modern Orthodox Churches. Church History Annual121 (2021): 187–190.
— Næss, Maria, The Mother of God: The History of the Virgin Birth. DIN: Journal of Religion and Culture 1 (2021): 107–111.
— Serck-Hanssen, Helgen i grenseland: Arven fra Trifon av Petsjenga. New Norwegian church magazine 1 (2020): 99–104.
— Galadza, Liturgy and Byzantinization in Jerusalem. The Dragoman: Annual publication issued by the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul 20 (2018): 156–158.
—— Gador-Whyte, Theology and Poetry in Early Byzantium. Patristica Nordica Annuaria 33 (2018): 120–122.
— Goldwyn, Byzantine Ecocriticism. Scandinavian Journal of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 4 (2018): 184–186.
—— Shoemaker, Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion. Journal of Early Christian Studies 26 (2018): 344–346.
—— Shoemaker, Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion. Patristica Nordica Annuaria 31 (2016): 151–53.
— Krueger, Liturgical Subjects. Journal of Early Christian Studies 23 (2015): 636–38.
—— Hidal, Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns on the Faith. Swedish Church Life 90 (2015): 180–82.
— The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom: A new translation. Patristica Nordica Annuaria 29 (2014): 130–131.
— Andrén, Johannes Chrysostomos: The Unfathomable. Patristica Nordica Annuaria 28 (2013): 121–22.
—— Aasgaard (ed.), Early Christian Apocrypha. Patristica Nordica Annuaria 27 (2012): 113–14.
Shieldstone, rejoice, you who bore the Light. Patristica Nordica Annuaria 26 (2011): 115–16.
— The Grand, The Orthodox Church. Journal of Theology and the Church 81 (2010): 313–15.
—— Tollefsen, The Christocentric Cosmology of St Maximus the Confessor. Norwegian Theological Journal 2 (2010): 146–48.
—— The Psalter according to the Septuagint. Messages from Collegium Patristicum Lundense 24 (2009): 87–88
— Engberg et al. (eds), In Defence of Christianity: Early Christian Apologists. Messages from Collegium Patristicum Lundense 23 (2008): 83–84.
— Johansen, The Divine Liturgies of the Orthodox Church. All over 1 (2006): 62–63.
— Clement, Sources: The Origins of Christian Spirituality. Church and culture 3 (2005): 469–70.
— Icelandic prose hymns. act 4 (2002).
— Halldorfs, 21 Church Fathers. act 1 (2002).
—— Mountain, The Thief from Bruges [poetry anthology]. New Time, 8 Dec 98.
