Joint Research Success: Forthcoming publication in “Mnemosyne”
March 4, 2026Dr Chrysanthou’s “Speaking Groups in Attic Oratory” accepted for publication in AJP
April 2, 2026We are delighted to announce that a new article by Dr Kyriakoula Tzortzopoulou, postdoctoral researcher of GROUPMINDS, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Early Christian Studies (JECS).
In this forthcoming study, Dr Tzortzopoulou examines John Chrysostom’s Homilies on the Statues as a powerful rhetoric of unity in the aftermath of the Riot of the Statues in Antioch (387 CE). The article moves beyond traditional theological readings of emotional transformation and instead explores the internal dynamics of collective emotion—how emotions function simultaneously as binding and dividing forces within a community. Through a sophisticated analysis of Chrysostom’s preaching, the study demonstrates his acute awareness of the social and environmental mechanisms that generate and intensify collective emotions. By fostering co-suffering, communal prayer, shared responsibility, and a “we-perspective” grounded in collective identity, Chrysostom actively sought to reshape the emotional life of the city and strengthen civic and ecclesial unity.
This publication exemplifies the intellectual aims of GROUPMINDS: to investigate collective cognition and emotion across genres and historical contexts, and to bridge cognitive theory with classical and late antique texts. Dr Tzortzopoulou’s work further confirms the sustained productivity of our research team and the continuous contribution of all its members to the international research community of Classics.
We warmly congratulate Kyriakoula on this important achievement and look forward to the article’s publication in JECS.