On Thu, 28 Nov 1996, michael goodich wrote:
> I guess I'm calling for some discussion of the motives and prejudices
> involved in our engagement with medieval religion. I personally have no
> objection whatsoever about the conference announcement, since I really
> don't doubt that 'gayness' (and fear thereof) is also a component (yet to
> be investigated) of sainthood, monasticism, pilgrimage, penance, and a
> host of other topics we've been discussing here.
>
> Michael Goodich
Some good questions from Mr. Goodich on a slow day (at least here in the
US). From where I sit, the main question appears to be the tricky one of
balance, both for those who have personally rejected religion as a
curiosity (or whatever) as well as for those who maintain religious
allegiances of whatever stripe. If you have a personal antipathy to
religious experience, or if you are devout, won't it be hard for you to
maintain scholarly balance? Many--no, most--of my students are devout,
and they tend to read Dante almost as a proto-evangelical; I think we
would all agree that that carries sympathetic reading too far. Yet, on
the other hand, the tendency to view medieval expressions of devotion as
quaint, and their modern equivalents as at best misguided, is almost
as bad (IMHO); the modern skeptic may derive a more accurate reading via
Wissenschaft than my devout students do, but what of someone like (e.g.)
C.S. Lewis, who could bring Wissenschaft's tools to bear on his subjects
*along with* profound and heartfelt theological convictions?
I don't want to get into the matter of gay vs. straight here on
medieval-religion, but will note that over on mediev-l this past week
there has been a good discussion of Richard I as a possible homosexual. I
will say only that the discussion, as often framed by moderns, seems to
deal in anachronisms.
Best wishes,
Mark Williams Internet: [log in to unmask]
Classics Department Voice: (616) 957-6293
Calvin College Fax: (616) 957-8551
Grand Rapids, MI
USA 49546
"Ideo nobis non subrepat superbia, quasi pro nostris meritis
aliquid acceperimus, dum filii irae fuimus." -Alcuin
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