medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
thanks, Hilary Carey, for the pons asinorum, a.k.a. "The Lazy Man's guide to
Gurevich."
>As I recall, Gurevich's posits a theory that the original/natural religion of
the medieval peasantry was a kind of dualism based on fear of the devil
against which the official church waged a constant struggle.
goodlord.
*really*?
what a curious conception, that the "official church" was in "constant
struggle" against the "fear of the devil."
a religion which posits eternal damnation (and that in a diabolic free-fire
zone) in the next life as the _a priori_ condition of human beings, meanwhile
just happening to mention that salvation from such a fate is *Only* possible
through the gentile Ministrations of its own Hierarchy.
or, perhaps his emphesis is on the Dualistic aspect of the question
--always a slippery slope, i suppose, trying to explain how an Omnipotent
diety can allow His creation to be positively *infused* with everpresent
Diabolical Actions, without conceeding at least a part of His Omnipotence.
>He therefore reads church resistance to dualist heresy as evidence of popular
culture (hence his title) emerging from the constraints of institutional
church power.
mmmm... surely that was at least *one* of the reasons why the Church resisted
it --if it wasn't an aspect of the "popular culture" it wouldn't have been,
uhh, "popular" and in need of resistance, would it?
>this struck me as not very convincing at the time
Perseverance Furthers.
>and also based on the conceit that the "people" were not fully converted to
Christianity.
well, that *is* the question, isn't it?
>Shades of Margaret Murray.
or Richard Landes.
best from here,
christopher
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