medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Jim Bugslag <[log in to unmask]>
> > What I know to be true, because I often did it myself and so did all my
colleagues, is that it was common to present a bright idea as an ancient
tradition. I suspect that some clergyman decided to base his Advent sermons on
the theme of the Four Last Things - and why not? -
and introduced them with the formula 'As is the ancient tradition of
the Church ...'
> This is certainly not a new practice. It was probably more widespread in
the Middle Ages than it is today.
something of an understatement, considering both our own blind Worship of The
New and the Middlevils' reverence for the Authority of Tradition and
conception of the past generally as a Golden Age:
"Bons fut le siecles al tems anciënour,
Quer feit i eret e justisie ed amour,
S'i ert credance, dont or n'i at nul prout;
Toz est mudez, perdude at sa colour:
Ja mais n'iert tels com fut as anceisours."
[Good was the world in the ancient times,
For faith and justice and love there were,
Indeed there was trust, of which there is now none;
All has changed, has lost its allure:
It will never again be as it was for our ancestors.]
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/8716/alexis.html
c
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