Abstract
For thirty years, Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge has been dedicated to understanding the mechanisms underlying polytheism in the ancient Greek world and, more broadly, those of pluralistic religious systems in general, by engaging in dialogue with other societies of the ancient Mediterranean.
“Polytheism is one of the ways in which the overwhelming majority of ancient societies grappled with representing a complex world. An analysis of how it functioned can not only help us better understand these ancient societies but also prompt us to reflect on the various ways of engaging with ‘the religion of others.’”
A research director at the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS), she taught for nearly fifteen years at the University of Liège, while also heading the “History and Anthropology of Religions” research unit. Her appointment to the Chair of Religion, History and Society in the Ancient Greek World continues a long tradition of Hellenic studies at the Collège de France.
