The Centre for Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Texts is a research centre of Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University in Olomouc. It is involved in the study of important works of European Christian culture with the aim to make them available to the Czech professional as well as the general public, and to prepare editions of as yet unpublished Latin manuscripts linked with the Czech lands. The Centre was formed as an interdisciplinary team made up of classical and medieval Latin philologists, philosophers, theologians and historians.

The Centre was started on July 2000 as a part of a program of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education "Research Centres", in 2005-2011 the Centre continued its work as a research program of St. Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, and since 2012 the Centre has been involved in the project History and Interpretation of the Bible. In 2000-2004 the main researcher was prof. Lenka Karfíková, Dr. theol., in 2005-2011 the project was lead by prof. PhDr. Pavel Floss, from 2012 the activities of the Centre are coordinated by Dr. Vít Hušek.

  Correspondence address:

Centre for Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Texts
CMTF UP
Univerzitní 22
CZ – 771 11 Olomouc
Czech Republic

tel.: +420 585 637 400
e-mail: centrum [@] cmtf.upol.cz
Badatelské vědecké centrum CMTF Kateřinská

Visiting address: Kateřinská 17, 3nd floor



2022-2024: Human Corporeality in the Alexandrian Christianity

The project Clement of Alexandria’s Biblical Exegesis as a Source of his Concept of Corporeality (GAČR 22-20873S, PI dr. V. Černušková) is concerned with the two most important figures of Alexandrian Christianity, Clement and Origen. The focus is on the interpretation of biblical passages, which play a constitutive role in Clement’s concept of corporeality. The aim of the project is to explore Clement’s concept of corporeality esp. in protology, soteriology, sacramentology, ecclesiology and eschatology and to analyse the heritage by which Clement’s concept of corporeality is influenced (esp. the inspiration of Valentinian Gnosis and anonymous teachers of Clement) as well as Clement’s possible impact on his most important follower, Origen.
The aim of the project is to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Alexandrian tradition, to explore Clement’s concept of corporeality and its sources, to emphasise the role of the biblical text in Clement’s concept of corporeality, and to analyse Clement’s possible impact on Origen.

2021-2023: Rhetorics of Monasticism in Bernard’s Apologia

The project Rhetorics of Monasticism in the Apologia of Bernard of Clairvaux and the Monastic Tradition in the 12th Century Europe (GAČR 21-11494S, PI doc. I. Adámková) aims at presenting a detailed analysis of the treatise Apologia by Bernard of Clairvaux, especially in terms of its narrative strategies and rhetoric means. Although frequently quoted and presumably well known to researchers, most studies have considered only several particular aspects – especially Bernard’s attitude toward the arts, the disputes between the Cistercians and the Cluniac monks, or the identification of the exact recipient of Bernard’s critiques. Lacking wider perspective, many researches strayed into blind alleys. With that in mind, the present project shall attempt to offer a complex analysis of the Apology in terms of its rhetorical structure, which has not been researched so far.
The project shall consist of detailed analysis of Bernard’s retorical strategies within his Apology, the second target is the study of monastic interactions between the ancient monasticism and the new monasticism and the ongoing discussion within monastic communities in the 12th century.

2019-2021: Transmission and interpretation of the Bible in ancient Alexandria

The project Biblical Exegesis of “the Other Clement of Alexandria” (GAČR 18-09922S, PI doc. J. Plátová) focuses on less well-known texts by Clement of Alexandria preserved in codex Laurentianus V 3 after the seventh book of the Stromata (the so-called “meta-Stromatic material ”), as fragments in various authors or in catenae and Clement’s homily Quis dives salvetur? These texts, sometimes referred to as “the other Clement of Alexandria”, share four characteristics: 1) they survived in one copy only; 2) they focus on the Bible: the texts mostly comment on particular biblical passages; 3) they also refer to non-canonical and non-orthodox traditions; 4) the fragmentary character: apart from QDS, they are not stylistically elaborated, but instead give the impression of notes or preparatory material. These texts also often contain the very first Christian explanation of particular biblical passages.
The aim of the project is to compare the traditional image of Clement with the image received from his less well-known works; to identify fragments preserved in catenae under Clement’s name; to make his selected works (so far untranslated) accessible to a Czech readership.

The project Cult and Politics in “Proto-Isaianic” Tradition. Divergence and convergence of Hebrew and Greek versions (GAČR 18-01995S, PI doc. G. I. Vlková) focuses on selected passages from Proto-Isaiah (Isa 1-39), predominantly on those that reflect political turmoil of the 8th century BC and/or controversies regarding Israelite cult. Special attention will be paid to the texts where the Greek translation (the Septuagint) differs significantly from the Hebrew versions, which is usually explained as the adaptation of the original text to the situation of the Jewish community during the Hellenistic period in Egyptian diaspora. The first goal of the project is the exposition of the relevant passages. The second goal is to contribute to the discussion about the relationship between Hebrew and Greek texts of Isaiah and about the possible projection of the political events in Palestine and the Jewish diaspora during the 2nd century BC to the Septuagint text. The main outcome of the project will be a commentary on Isa 13–33 in the new series Czech Ecumenical Commentary on the Old Testament. In addition, several articles on this topic will be published in international academic journals.

2012-2018: History and Interpretation of the Bible

In 2012-18, the Centre was involved in the project History and Interpretation of the Bible (GAČR P401/12/G168), a joint project of Protestant Theological Faculty, Charles University of Prague (with participation of Catholic Theological Faculty and Faculty of Arts), Institute for Classical Studies, The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University in Olomouc. The project coordinator is Dr. Jan Dušek, coordinators at cooperating institutions are PhDr. Jiří Beneš and Dr. Vít Hušek.

The researchers of the Centre participate primarily in the unit 4 - Interpretations of the Bible in the Greek and Latin Fathers.

 → More about our projects
 → More information about the project




2005-2011

In 2005-11, the activities of the Centre were financially supported by the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic (research program of CMTF UP, no. MSM 6198959202). The Centre formed 11 research units, their outputs embrace 65 monographs and 77 chapters in books (published mostly in publishig houses Oikúmené, Vyšehrad and CDK Brno), and 63 studies in periodicals.

The Centre organized 10 international conferences:

 → Research units 2005-11 and their principal outputs


2000-2004

The centre was founded as a joint project of Palacky University in Olomouc, Masaryk University in Brno and The Institute for Classical Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, with financial support of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic (project no. LN00A011). The main researcher for the project became doc. Lenka Karfiková, Dr. Theol., along with the co-researchers prof. PhDr. Jana Nechutová, CSc., and Hana Šedinová, Ph.D.

The Centre formed 40 research units, their outputs are 2 editions, 22 translations, 7 monographs, and 4 collections of papers. (See also a list of publications.)

 → Final report about our activities 2000-04 (in Czech):
Studia theologica 7, č. 2 [20] (2005): 97-100 (online in CEEOL).


Previous projects / Centre Continuity:

The Centre is building upon the work begun with the grant project Texts on the history of medieval thought 1-2 (grant project no. 401/97/0374 supported by the Czech Science Foundation), which was the work of the Institute for Classical Studies of the ASCR along with the Sts Cyril and Methodius Theological Faculty (head researcher doc. Lenka Karfíková, Dr.theol., along with Hana Šedinová, Ph.D.). The first run of the project was in 1997-1999, the second one no. 401/00/0133 in 2000-2002. As a part of this project two series of publications were started in co-operation with the Oikúmené Publishing House making available significant works of Medieval thought in bilingual editions accompanied by learned introductions and explanatory notes. The series are called Fontes Latini Bohemorum and The Library of the Medieval Tradition.

The Centre is also building upon the activities of the Section for the Study of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (established thanks to a grant from the Ministry of Education) under the leadership of Professor Pavel Floss, the Philosophical Faculty UP Olomouc. The Section is systematically involved in the research of Medieval and Renaissance philosophy, supervises the studies of young research workers in this specialisation and presents its research at an international research forum (conference - M. Ficino, R. Kalivoda, G. Bruno, M. Cusanus).

The Centre also follows up on the research and teaching activities of Professor Jana Nechutová from the Institute for Classical Studies, Masaryk University Brno, who supervises the postgraduate studies of young research workers with an interest in Latin Medieval studies. The development of this doctoral programme was supported by a grant project from the Open Society Fund foundation which in the year 2000 culminated with the accreditation of Doctoral Studies in Latin Medieval Studies as an independent programme.