medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>As I said, it *is* a novel and I didn't expect much from it. I do
>have a question, though: I realize that it's set a thousand years
>before Teresa of Avila's eminently sensible and down-to-earth advice
>on visions, raptures, and excessive penances. But did the Church in
>the sixth century actually have that much less experience,
>commonsense and understanding of human nature? The novel portrays the
>sixth century as having a staggeringly credulous and highly emotional
>attitude toward religion, and it seems to me that it must be falling
>into the trap of assuming that because medieval people lived
>centuries ago, they must have been stupid.
>
Obviously, there is no one answer to what the "Church in the sixth century"
thought about anything. However, I think it is fair to say that
ecclesiastical officials were as skeptical of miracles and visions then as
they are now. Gregory of Tours specifically says he was very suspicious of
reports of miracles attributed to Radegund until he experienced a modest
one himself. Radegund herself was not a visionary or an ecstatic and she is
unique as far as I can tell among her contemporaries in imposing excessive
physical torments upon herself. And, as I indicated in an earlier post, I
think that these were the result of extreme anxiety at a period when Clothar
was making approaches to get her back. The lives of Radegund herself and
the account of the disruptions of her convent after her death recorded in
Gregory of Tours are far better reading than that old novel.
Jo Ann
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|