Print

Print
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Actually,

there are discussions of ministry to the deaf, dumb and blind in the late medieval summae de casibus conscientiae. I can say more about this later today, but the instructions include giving them signs[signa]  or commands when hearing their confessions.

Tom Izbicki

From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of V. K. Inman <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 6, 2018 11:20:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [M-R] Confession of those with hearing or speech impairments
 
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Having worked with deaf people many years and having studied the history of deaf education, there is absolutely no indication that anyone was concerned with the congenitally deaf from a religious point of view until the 18th century. Congenitally deaf people were generally considered in the same category as mentally deficient. People who became deaf at a post-language acquisition age, however, were another matter. They could usually still talk and may have been able to lip read to some extent. Chaucer's Wife of Bath being an fictitious  example. 
The origin of scientific approaches to the education of the deaf apparently was more concerned with inheritance law than canon law. 
As a contemporary note, in Philadelphia where I live today, Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, and especially Episcopals all have special ministries to the deaf, usually including American Sign Language fluent ministers.
Here is an interesting link. https://medievaldisabilityglossary.wikispaces.com/Deafness


On Tue, Feb 6, 2018 at 10:40 AM, John Shinners <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Does anyone know what provisions were made for hearing the annual confessions of people who were deaf or mute? I don’t remember ever seeing this addressed in pastoral manuals.

Thanks,
John

--
John Shinners 
Professor, Schlesinger Chair in Humanistic Studies Emeritus 
Saint Mary's College 
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 
Phone: 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)
********************************************************************** 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]uk 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: medieval-religion-request@jiscmail.ac.uk 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
********************************************************************** 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