Stéphane Ancel
Stéphane Ancel, historien, chargé de recherche au CNRS (CéSor-Ehess) est spécialiste de l’histoire contemporaine de l’Église orthodoxe d’Éthiopie (19e-20e siècles). Il étudie plus spécifiquement l’évolution et les interactions des mouvements religieux de la Corne de l’Afrique, ainsi que l’histoire des modalités de production et de diffusion du discours religieux. Rattaché actuellement au CRFJ, il mène une recherche sur les stratégies d’installation et de développement de la communauté chrétienne éthiopienne de Jérusalem tout en posant la question des enjeux politiques, sociaux, religieux et identitaires des discours de différenciations et d’agrégations des communautés religieuses dans la ville.
Stéphane Ancel, historian and full-time researcher at the CNRS (CéSor-Ehess), is a specialist in the contemporary history of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (19th-20th centuries). More precisely, he studies the evolution and interactions of religious movements in the Horn of Africa, as well as the history of the production and dissemination of religious discourse. Currently affiliated to the CRFJ, he is conducting research on the settlement and development strategies of the Ethiopian Christian community in Jerusalem, while studying the political, social, religious and identity issues at stake in the discourses proposed by the city’s religious communities on their differences and their points of concord.
Thèmes de recherche / Research Interests
Histoire contemporaine (19e-20e s.) des mouvements religieux dans la Corne de l’Afrique et au Moyen-Orient.
Histoire des modalités de production et de diffusion du discours religieux.
Histoire et typologie des sources historiques dans la Corne de l’Afrique.
Contemporary history (19th-20th century) of religious movements in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
History of the means of production and diffusion of religious discourse.
History and typology of historical sources in the Horn of Africa.
Terrains de recherche / Fields of Research
Corne de l’Afrique, Ethiopie
Moyen-Orient, Jérusalem
Horn of Africa, Ethiopia
Middle-East, Jerusalem
Contact : stephane.ancel@cnrs.fr
Publications récentes / Latest publications
Ouvrages / Books
2021: with M. Krzyzanowka and V. Lemire, The Monk on the Roof. Story of an Ethiopian Manuscript found in Jerusalem (1904), Leiden: Brill, 299 p., ISBN 978-90-04-42385-5.
2020: with M. Krzyzanowka and V. Lemire, Le moine sur le toit. Histoire d’un manuscrit éthiopien trouvé à Jérusalem (1904), Paris : Edition de la Sorbonne, 251 p., ISBN 979-10-351-0575-4.
Articles et chapitres d’ouvrage / Articles and Book Chapters
Forthcoming: “Yoḥannǝs IV and the Patriarchate of Alexandria: Obtaining Four Coptic Bishops while Ceding Nothing on Jerusalem Issue (1876–1882)”, in Aethiopica, International Journal for Ethiopian and Eritrean Studies.
2021: with Hassan Mwakimako (Pwani University), “Religion and Religious Movements: Strategies and Adaptations to New Landscape – Introduction”, in Jean-Nicolas Bach (ed.), Routledge Handbook of the Horn of Africa, London-New York : Routledge: 407-410.
2021: “Architectural Innovation in Ethiopian Orthodox Church”, in Jean-Nicolas Bach (ed.), Routledge Handbook of the Horn of Africa, London-New York : Routledge: 495-503.
2020 : “Were the Ethiopians in Jerusalem Ottoman Citizens? Ethiopian Essentialism versus Ottomanism (1850–1916)”, Journal of Northeast African Studies, vol. 19, n°2: 1-26. URL:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14321/nortafristud.20.1-2.0001
2018: “Looking for the Daily Life of Orthodox Ethiopians in Jerusalem (1840-1940): Breaking Down Barriers Between Archives for Revealing Ethiopian Social Networks in Jerusalem”, in A. Dalachanis and V. Lemire, Ordinary Jerusalem (1840-1940), Opening New Archives, Revisiting a Global City, Open Jerusalem Book serie, volume 1, Brill: 50-74. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004375741_006
2017 : « Les cathédrales comme nouvelle politique monumentale des chrétiens d’Éthiopie : de la valorisation d’une mémoire nationale à l’affirmation de la fierté communautaire locale (1930-2012) », in Cahiers d’Études Africaines, vol. 227, Paris : 641-670. URL :
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/etudesafricaines.20851
2017 : Avec M.-C. Rioli (Univ. Bologna) et R. Mazza (Univ. Limerick) “The Italian Consulate in Jerusalem: the History of a Forgotten Diplomatic Mission (1846-1930)”, in Jerusalem Quarterly, vol. 71: 94-105. URL: http://www.palestine-studies.org/jq/abstract/226046
2017 : “Organization of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church”, in S. Uhlig, D. Appleyard, A. Bausi, W. Hahn, S. Kaplan (eds), Ethiopia: History, Culture and Challenges, Lit, Michigan State University Press : 222-225.
2016 : “Travelling Books: Changes of Ownership and Location in Ethiopian Manuscript Culture”, in Giovanni Ciotti and Hang Lin (eds.), Tracing Manuscript in Time and Space through Paratexts, Studies in Manuscript Cultures, De Gruyter, Berlin-München-Boston: 269-299.
URL: https://www.degruyter.com/viewbooktoc/product/468256
2017 : Avec V. Lemire (UPEM) “Across the Archives : New Sources about the Ethiopian Christian Community in Jerusalem (1840-1940)”, in Jerusalem Quarterly, vol. 71: 106-119. URL:
http://www.palestine-studies.org/jq/abstract/226047
2015 : « L´Église orthodoxe d´Éthiopie et la révolution: assurer sa survie par la réforme (1974-1991) », in Cahiers d´Études Africaines, vol. 220, Paris : 687-710. URL:
http://www.cairn.info/resume.php?ID_ARTICLE=CEA_220_0687
2015 : “A Muslim Prophecy Justifying the Conversion of Ethiopian Muslims to Christianity during Yoḥannǝs IV’s Reign? A Text found in a Manuscript in East Tigray”, in Annales d’Ethiopie, vol. 30: 315-333. URL:
https://www.persee.fr/doc/ethio_0066-2127_2015_num_30_1_1592
2015 : Avec E. Ficquet (EHESS), “The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) and the Challenges of Modernity”, in G. Prunier et E. Ficquet (eds.), Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia, Monarchy, Revolution and Legacy of Meles Zenawi, Hurst & Company, London : 63-91.
