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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Dear Frank (et al.), Yes to all of this. I have in fact asked a neuroscientist colleague and friend of mine who works on precisely these issues to come to this class. But what I don't want to do, by doing that, is to authorize the medical interpretation. I've been trying to figure out what the analytical problem is here. One is that conditions that were understood in terms of divine and mystical experience (voices, vision) at one time might well be "medicalized" at another time (as Kurt suggested). Anyone who has read the transcripts knows how clear-eyed/voiced Joan comes across, and it is impossible to suggest after reading these that she was in any way incapacitated. It seems that the two strands of interpretation requires accepting that there is *something* external/ulterior to either "mysticize" or too "medicalize" about Joan's voice and visions, and this is where the problem lies. The ways in which the explanations push forward is that the visions are either divine (we accept Joan's claims), or biological (we assume she just assumed they were divine). One explanation de-legitimizes the other. In Bynum's treatments of eating/food, she figured out how to undo this tricky knot. But it seems to me (and I have only read a small portion of the vast amount written on Joan) that the difference is that eating or not eating is a choice made by the subject. Bynum explained why that choice made sense in a medieval environment that didn't need to be equated or credited with anorexia. Joan herself says repeatedly that the visions are not hers. The visions and voiced are presented as exteriorized. So it can't be a question of a choice that Joan made. And it seems reasonable to interrogate the voices and visions. Not in an effort to delegitimize them. Or her. But to understand the story. Thinking aloud, cecilia On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Frank Morgret <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > Cecilia, > > There is another approach to this questio0n, and my face is red for not > realizing it sooner. > > If my memory is correct, you are at Dartmouth College. Their med school > is in the medical complex about 3 miles south(?) of the main campus. > > Today there are parents who for one reason or another refuse any and all > treatment for their epileptic children. What is the behaviour of their > children like as they grow into young adulthood? What health problems do > they develop? Ditto for teens who develop schizophrenia. Someone at the > med school should be able to give you the facts on the behaviour of young > adults with these problems who are left untreated. > > Personally, I think the idea that Joan suffered from either disease goes > far, far beyond the data we have. Ascertaining what the data are in this > case is difficult enough, never mind erecting some shaky thesis that > "explains" Joan. > > Best of luck in putting this together! > > > Regards, > Frank > > ********************************************************************** > 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-religion > ********************************************************************** 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-religion