NeMoSanctI – New Models of Sanctity in Italy
#Semiopills — NeMoSanctI interviews the most prominent scholars in the field of semiotics of religion
Episode 3 — Ugo Volli
March 28, 2019, Turin, Italy
Interview by Gabriele Marino and Jenny Ponzo
Video editing by Federico Biggio
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Ugo Volli (b. 1948, Trieste) is a prominent Italian intellectual and a leading figure in the fields of semiotics and the philosophy of language. A close friend and collaborator of Umberto Eco, the official theatre critic of “la Repubblica” from 1976 to 2009, he has taught at the University of Bologna and at the IULM University of Milan; since 2000, he is Full professor of Semiotics and the director of CIRCe (Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Communication) at the University of Turin. His writings encompass general theoretical works in the fields of semiotics and the philosophy of language and the analysis of texts and phenomena such as science, art, design, fashion, sexuality, advertising, television, politics, theatre, Judaism and the Bible. Most of his publications can be freely downloaded at https://unito.academia.edu/UgoVolli and https://sites.google.com/site/profugovolli/. *** QUESTIONS 1. What are according to the specificities of the semiotic approach to religion? What are the specificities of the semiotic approach to religion? 2. How can semiotics contribute to the definition of the concepts of religion, religiosity and individual religions? How does semiotics can define religion, religiousness, and religions? 3. In your book Questions to the Torah (Epos, 2012) you used semiotics and philosophy of language to investigate the sacred books of the Jewish Law. What limits did you find in using this perspective and how did you reconcile it with the centuries-old Jewish exegetical tradition? In your book Questions to the Torah (‘Questions to the Torah’; Epos, 2012) you used semiotics and the philosophy of language to shed light upon the sacred books of the Jewish Law. Which limits did you find in employing such a perspective and how did you conciliate it with the secular tradition of Jewish exegesis? The book can be purchased at the following link / The book is purchasable at the following link: bit.ly/volli-domande-torah 4. From 1976 – the year of its foundation – until 2009 you were the theatrical critic of “la Repubblica”. To what extent is it possible in your opinion to establish a parallel between theater and liturgy, on the basis of the ritual and symbolic characteristics that both these practices present? From 1976 – the year of its foundation – to 2009 you were the theater critic of one of the most important Italian newspapers, “la Repubblica”. To which extent can we draw a parallel between theater and liturgy, according to their prominent ritual and symbolic features? 5. In your book For polytheism (Feltrinelli, 1992) you use the notions of mono and polytheism in a metaphorical way to affirm the need for a plurality of languages, values and ideologies, even at the cost of generating a cultural clash. If you were to (re) write this book today, would you change anything in your pluralistic view? In your book Per il politeismo (‘For the polytheism’; Feltrinelli, 1992) you employed the notions of mono and polytheism metaphorically in order to maintain the necessity of pluralism as regards languages, values, and ideologies, even at the cost of generating cultural conflict. If you had to (re) write such book today, would you change something in this pluralistic vision of yours? The book is freely available as a PDF file at the following link: bit.ly/volli-politeismo *** “NeMoSanctI: New Models of Sanctity in Italy (1960s-2000s) – A Semiotic Analysis of Norms, Causes of Saints, Hagiography, and Narratives “is a research project carried out at the University of Turin, Italy. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No 757314). Follow us on https://nemosancti.eu — https://fb.com/nemosancti
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Music by Marow – e.coli (2011) from the album + – 0 [Plus Minus Null] published by Mille Plateaux / the Orchard Music / Force Inc. Vertical FM http://vertical.fm/promo/269.htm .