medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The section you are referring to about spiritual armor is not what I was
intending to focus on in the work that I am doing on Alonso de Espina, but
now I am reconsidering it since I saw your message yesterday. I may include
it in my study of this text.
I have in one of my footnotes the following:
"Primo consideratio tractat de armatura omnium fidelium in generali, et ibi
ponebuntur sex genera armorum spiritualium." The six weapons are: studium
continentie, virtus justicie, exempla sanctorum, scutum fidei, galea spei,
and gladium verbi Dei. The last three weapons are derived from Ephesians
6:16-17. In fact, the theme of spiritual warfare that colors the whole text
is most likely derived from Ephesians 6:10-20.
Does this look familiar to you? I am not sure of Alonso's sources, but now
that I am interesting at looking at the section more closely, I am going to
try to find out where he got this material. If you know of other writers
that use this same schema, I would be interested in looking at its use in
these other writers.
I am sending this on-list to see if others out there have seen other
medieval authors use this theme of spiritual weaponary.
Thanks,
Steve
Steven J. McMichael, OFM Conv.
Theology
University of Saint Thomas
St. Paul, MN
_____
From: Andrew Kirkman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Mon 5/23/2005 5:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [M-R] A Question about Preaching
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I was fascinated to read your post, since this is a topic on which I've
been engaged for some time. The conceit itself originates in Ephesians 6
('Put on the whole armor of God...), and it has enormous ramifications
thereafter. Craig Wright ('The Maze and the Warrior' (Harvard U.P.,
2002?) discusses its echoes in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages;
I have worked on its development in late-medieval Mass commentaries,
which embed it in the celebration of Mass in exactly the way you
describe: the priestly vestments are the armor, the singers are the
trumpeters sounding the call to battle, etc. The conclusion of Mass
signals the victory over the enemy. As for so many other things,
Durandus is the most obvious source for this allegory in the context of
Mass itself. I would be interested if you could share reference to the
source you speak of; I'll be happy to send you more detailed information
(off list?) if this would be of interest.
Best regards,
Andrew Kirkman
McMichael, Steven J. wrote:
>medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
>I have a question concerning medieval preaching manuals. The text I am
>working on (the Fortalitium Fidei of the Franciscan Alonso de Espina d.
>1464) has a discussion of preaching (What it is? Who should preach? The
>qualities of a good preacher?, etc.) which is embedded in the text; in
other
>words, this is not a free standing preaching manual. Alonso begins his Book
>I (there are five "books") with a discussion about the spiritual armor
which
>every Christian person must put on in order to defend the Fortress of
Faith.
>He then points out, in the second section, the special armor of preachers
>which they have to put on in their battle against the Church's enemies. The
>third and last part of Book I furnishes a synthesis of Christian theology
>and Christology which constitutes the spiritual foundations of the Fortress
>of Faith.
>
>
>
>Is this unique to the artes praedicandi tradition or are there other
>medieval authors who have incorporated a discussion of the theory of
>preaching within their theological text?
>
>
>
>Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
>
>
>
>Steven J. McMichael, OFM Conv.
>
>Theology Department
>
>University of Saint Thomas
>
>St. Paul, MN
>
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--
Andrew Kirkman
Tel: (001) 609 448 9795
Personal website: http://music.rutgers.edu/info/fac-bio/kirkman/
<http://music.rutgers.edu/info/fac-bio/kirkman/>
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