medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (28. November) is the feast day of:
Juthwara (?) Juthwara was a British virgin and possible martyr, perhaps
from Cornwall. Her legend is great: Juthwara was a pious girl persecuted
by an evil stepmother. When J. was suffering chest pains, stepmom
recommended that J apply two cheeses (!) to her breasts, then told her own
son that J. was pregnant. He accused her, found that her underclothes were
damp, and chopped off her head. A spring of water appeared at the site, J.
carried her head back to the church, the rotten stepbrother repented and
became a monk.
Gregory III (d. 741) Gregory was a Syrian by birth. He became pope in
731. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was humble and wise, learned,
and an eloquent preacher. He is perhaps most notable for condemning the
iconoclasm of Emperor Leo III, an act that led to the emancipation of the
Roman church from Byzantine control.
Stephen the Younger (d. 764/5) Stephen was a hermit-monk who lived near
Chalcedon. When iconoclast persecution was renewed he became the most
important defender of images in Constantinople. So he was banished in 761
to an island in the sea of Marmara. Recalled after three years, he was
interrogated but continued to oppose imperial policy, so he was imprisoned
for 11 months (along with 300 other monks, who lived a monastic life
together in prison), and finally battered to death.
Simeon the Logothete (d. c. 1000) Simeon was logothete (a high official)
to Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (oops, I mean -os). At the
emperor's behest, he made a collection of stories of Byzantine saints that
is comparable to the Golden Legend.
James of the Marches (d. 1476) James was born in the March of Ancona to a
poor family. He became a Franciscan and in time an extremely successful
preacher against Bogomils and Hussites, besides in Italy. He made it to
the ecclesiastical big-time, serving as papal legate in Hungary and
refusing the bishopric of MIlan that was offered to him. But in 1462 James
was denounced to the Inquisition for heterodox views on the blood of
Christ. This led to disputations between Dominicans and Franciscans, and
finally the pope imposed silence on both sides. James was canonized in
1726.
And a happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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