The department of classical, near Eastern and religious studies (CNERS) has officially changed its name to the department of ancient Mediterranean and near Eastern studies (AMNE). AMNE faculty say the name better reflects the department’s goals, research projects and spirit of furthering knowledge.
The new department name is broader than the previous one, with the word 'classical' taken out because of its negative connotation.
“The word, classics, as a label for Greek and Roman studies promotes a narrative of Western exceptionalism,” said Dr. Katharine Huemoeller, a professor specializing in ancient slavery and Roman social history.
“We cut the word, classics, from our name to make a statement — what we study is not superior to or more important than any other discipline,” she said.
Dr. Philip Yoo, a professor who teaches courses on Judaism and the Hebrew Bible explained the reason for removing the word 'religious' from the new title.
He explained that AMNE is just one of the several departments that offer courses on religion, with UBC also offering the Program in the Study of Religion and other religious courses in Asian studies.
He explained the study of religion is also sometimes confused with theology, the latter of which the department does not teach. “We study the Bible from an academic perspective,” said Yoo.
Department head Dr. Michael Griffin also said the new name better reflects the multitude of research areas that the department encompasses.
Griffin explained that AMNE emerged from multiple departments, and the new name helps to bring unity and “focus our whole identity around something all of us share in common, which is the region of the world: the ancient Mediterranean, Greece, Rome, and near East, like ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.”
He said the new name also reflects continued collaboration in the department to understand how the people in this region lived and what legacy they leave behind.
“For example, I'm working on Greek philosophy, but I'm talking with our colleague who's an Egyptologist on Ancient Egyptian contributions,” said Griffin. There is a “mutual awareness, connectivity and collaboration” that he hopes is reflected in the new name.
New teaching focuses and course additions
Professors say the department's name change is an opportunity for them to shift the focus of their courses.
Huemoeller said the name change is an opportunity for her to expand what she teaches from traditional Greek and Roman studies.
"Working with my colleagues ... in other areas and having students in my classes who want to learn about more than just the Romans and the Greeks, [has] already pushed me to expand what I teach. This renaming of our departments will push me further in that direction," she said.
Yoo believes the new name puts more emphasis on studying Jewish texts within their geographical context.
“We can freely talk about these texts as products of their time and place,” he said.
Following the name change, the department has also created two new courses. AMNE 200, an introduction to what the department covers, and AMNE 300, on the uses and abuses of antiquity.
Huemoeller hopes these new courses will provide students with an opportunity to critically analyze the culmination of historical events in these regions while challenging their current perceptions. Post-name change, she is happy with the department’s current direction.
“We have made a great start with our new courses and curriculum development but we, of course, have more work to do… I hope that our grads and undergrads keep pushing us to change and to do better.”