 |
 |
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and cultureGreat point, Paul. Early martyr Perpetua says this very thing--and very defiantly--and off the top of my head I also think of Cyricus and Julitta. There have to be lots more. I hadn't thought of that when I wrote "I am a Christian" in my post, but now you make me think that this would be a fruitful thing to explore. I'm trying to work out those moments when ordinary Christians might be aware of their Christianity; a saint's legend used as a sermon exempla would be potent teaching tool for impressing their faith on people. I'll have to search down that road.Thanks,John********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe 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: unsubscribe 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/medieval-religionOn Fri, May 31, 2013 at 8:52 PM, Paul Chandler <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe 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: unsubscribe 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/medieval-religionJohn, many Christian martyr stories have their high point in the declaration "Christianus sum", after which the martyr is condemned (Boyarin's Dying for God also has something about this, I think, but I don't have the book to hand). The declaration is still enacted, for example, in the 11th-c vita of St Rumwold of Buckingham, whose first words on being born are "Christianus sum". Could this kind of story-telling be just as potent for identity formation as meeting a non-Christian? -- PaulOn 1 June 2013 10:24, V. K. Inman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and cultureDaniel Boyarin has argued something like this for the Hebrew faith, which he says was not "Judaism" until later. But, I don't remember this being argued of Christians.I would find it hard to believe that Christians living in Andalus before the reconquest had never met a Jew or Muslim. And what of the crusaders? Did they never have close encounters with Jews or Muslims ?Boyarin's argument is on different grounds. It seems to be that the Jews did not see themselves as a religion but a people.If you haven't read it already, you might find: _The Spectral Jew: Conversion and Embodiment in Medieval Europe_, Steven F. Kruger 2005; instructive in this regard.V. K. Inman********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe 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: unsubscribe 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/medieval-religionOn Fri, May 31, 2013 at 5:37 PM, John Shinners <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe 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: unsubscribe 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/medieval-religionDoes anyone recall the name of the modern medievalist who has argued that the concept of “religion” was not something most medieval people would even think to use to define themselves (as in “I am a Christian”) because the vast majority of Europeans were baptized Christians from birth and seldom had opportunity to interact with non-Christians? Christianity was a given, no more necessary to proclaim than "I am human." I’m not sure I buy the idea since even if someone never met a Jew or Muslim, these groups had become so demonized in the abstract that someone could not help feel satisfaction in belonging to the “right” religion. Or am I imagining I heard this not so long ago? Any insights are most welcome.
Thanks,John--John Shinners
Professor, Schlesinger Chair in Humanistic Studies
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
Phone: 574-284-4494 or 574-284-4534
Fax: 284-4855
www.saintmarys.edu/~hust
"Learn everything. Later you will see that nothing is superfluous." -- Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1141)
--
Paul Chandler, O.Carm.
Holy Spirit Seminary | PO Box 18 (487 Earnshaw Road) | Banyo Qld 4014 | Australia
office: (07) 3246 9888 | home: (07) 3246 9894
[log in to unmask]--John Shinners
Professor, Schlesinger Chair in Humanistic Studies
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
Phone: 574-284-4494 or 574-284-4534
Fax: 284-4855
www.saintmarys.edu/~hust
"Learn everything. Later you will see that nothing is superfluous." -- Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1141)