Late Medieval Sermons Research Articles

Women’s Perception in Late Medieval European Preaching: A Comparative Analysis

The perception of women in the late medieval European preaching is rather complex and interesting. The theological viewpoint against medieval women is constrained towards their moral and social deliverance and virtues. However, late medieval sermons of preachers have helped to understand and amplify the conception of medieval society towards the social standing of European medieval women. In retrospect, this article examines women’s representation in the sermons of three prominent preachers from the 14th and 15th centuries: Giordano da Pisa, Bernardino of Siena, and St. Vincent Ferrer. The research individually analyzes the preachers' sermons through a comparative analysis, addressing women's weaknesses in the European medieval era. The sermons focus on the societal perceptions of women and their moral constitutions, aiming to promote spiritual conversion. Although the preachers share common perceptions, they have also managed to adopt the use of vernacular language, thus condemning sins, for instance, lust and adultery. Moreover, the preaching style and context they present medieval women vary significantly. Giordano da Pisa addresses an educated audience with an academic approach, whereas Bernardino da Siena preaches the broader and intellectual society in an accessible and didactic style. St. Vincent Ferrer employs a vehement tone, centered on instilling fear of the Final Judgment. The analysis reveals the importance of the image of women in medieval preaching. Moreover, the sermons of the preachers also aim to reinforce and redefine the social and religious norms related to women of the medieval era, therefore emphasizing on their role in maintaining moral stability and developing the institution of moral enrichment and social nourishment of their offspring.

Strategies of Interpretation in French and Italian exempla

ABSTRACT Exempla were short narratives included in late medieval sermons to convey religious teachings and entertain the audience. These stories, which often recounted miracles and incredible events, first circulated in Latin collections and were later incorporated into other works and miscellanies. When translated from Latin into vernacular, these stories were often reshaped in original ways. This paper considers two popular exempla from the Vitae Patrum and analyses the interpretations thereof in miniatures, particularly manuscript Hamilton 390, sermons, anonymous miscellanies, Cavalca’s translation of the Vitae, and the French collection Vie des Pères. It argues that the adaptability of exempla enabled interpreters to read and translate these stories and thus offer different interpretations and authorial sensibilities, to appeal to their target audiences.

The Thirteenth-Century Animal Turn: Medieval and Twenty-First-Century Perspectives by Nigel Harris

Reviewed by: The Thirteenth-Century Animal Turn: Medieval and Twenty-First-Century Perspectives by Nigel Harris Karl Steel nigel harris, The Thirteenth-Century Animal Turn: Medieval and Twenty-First-Century Perspectives. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. Pp. ix, 131. isbn: 978–3–030–50661–2. $44.99. After the last decades’ ground-clearing, medieval animal studies has been getting more precise, often attending closely to the varied, often ambiguous functions of animals in medieval philosophy and theology. Books from German academia or at least familiar with its scholarship have been in the movement’s forefront: these [End Page 108] include works by Tobias Davids, Udo Friedrich, Theodor Köhler, Anselm Oelze, Ian P. Wei, and now, Nigel Harris. Harris’s study thus furnishes two chief advantages: its engagement with what has become the scholarly center of medieval animal studies, and its provision of literary examples perhaps less familiar to Anglo-American scholars than what is usually on offer. To illustrate the increasing importance of animals in thirteenth- over twelfth- century chivalric narrative—consider the difference between La chanson de Roland, c. 1100, and Yvain, c. 1180s—Harris relies not on Middle English and Old French but rather on German translations like Partonopier und Meliur and Iwein as well as the many animals of German originals like Wolfdietrich, the Münchner Oswald (with its ornery talking raven), Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Willehalm, the elaborate animal heraldry of Wirnt von Grafenberg’s Wigalois, Konrad von Stoffeln’s Gauriel von Muntabel (a knight whose goat kills Iwein’s lion!), and Heinrich von dem Türlin’s Diu Crône (in which a heraldic device, a lion, briefly animates and roars during battle), as well as shorter works like Walther von der Vogelweide’s lyric ‘Dô Friderîch ûz Osterrîch alsô gewarp’ (which Harris uses to explain the shifting reputation of peacocks). Sadly, neither the technologically advanced, crane-headed warriors of Herzog Ernst nor Ortnit’s hero-killing baby dragons make any appearance, but all such omissions, I assume, are due to the book’s brevity. Harris identifies the key driver of the ‘turn’ as the translation of Aristotle’s animal writing into Latin, and the massive commentarial efforts that ensued, particularly by Albert the Great. Another driver was the Fourth Lateran Council and its affiliated cultural movements, which encouraged a new proliferation and professionalization of preaching for the laity: in sermon and exempla collections, animals abounded. Drawing on Elisabeth Schinagl’s research into the uses of natural history in late medieval sermons, Harris looks at preachers like Martinus of Opava, Pierre Bersuire, Marcus of Orvieto, and John of San Gimignano to demonstrate how the corpus of culturally important animals expanded far beyond that of the Physiologus tradition. Meanwhile, natural history writing attended newly to local conditions, like Albert the Great’s remarks on how Bohemians capture dormice by building them deceptive little houses, or reevaluated old claims skeptically. Fredrick the Great (whose avian treatise receives significant attention) discovers no evidence for the peculiar natality of barnacle geese, while Thomas of Cantimpré softens the traditional motivations ascribed to pelicans for killing their own chicks, albeit less because of any observation on his part than for allegorical elegance, as pelicans typically functioned as symbols of Christ. Some changes were ‘scientific’ then, while others were a product of increasingly professionalized religious thinking. My objections principally have to do with the book’s length: I presume the series at least encourages the absence of notes and a minimal index, and offers little space to linger in its analysis. So the treatment of pets, which Harris pegs unconvincingly to a ‘rise in affection for animals’ (pp. 99, 100) could have dealt with the strange and sometimes skeptical attention to human/animal relationships in the scholarship of Donna Haraway, Dominic Pettman, and Kathy Rudy in a longer book. His discussion of the links Berthold von Regensburg creates between Katze (cat) and Ketzer (heretic) [End Page 109] misses Rainer Kampling’s work on medieval cats, and his observations about the rise of paper might have considered Nancy K. Turner’s skeptical account of animal ethics and parchment. I wonder, too, if Harris undersells the richness of natural history produced...

Christ as King and Kings as Christ

ABSTRACT This article examines the specific image of a knightly Christ applied to historical kings, in two late medieval sermons. The article situates these examples within the context of contemporary textual representations of kingship, both in sermons generally and in the ‘mirrors for princes’ genre. My aim is to contextualize and thereby understand the purposes of the two sermons which present a distinctive representation of kingship. With only these two known examples, this instance of the Christ-knight is a minor but important strand of the motif, and impacts the way in which scholars should consider both Christocentric devotion and notions of late medieval kingship.

Forgiveness in Late Medieval Sermons: On the Unforgiving Servant

ABSTRACTThis study contributes to the history of forgiveness. It samples twenty-nine Latin model sermons on the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18. 23–35) to access instructions and persuasive material used to teach late medieval Christians about interpersonal forgiveness, peacemaking, or reconciliation. Only half the surveyed sermons discuss forgiveness. Of those that do, only two authors explained the qualified obligation to forgive: to obtain divine forgiveness, Christians must be willing to forgive a penitent offender agreeing to make amends. Christians could still seek justice for harm suffered, so long as they did so without resentment or the desire to harm their offender. These authors also acknowledged the practical difficulties of loving enemies. Unconditional forgiveness remained a goal for those seeking a heavenly reward for Christian perfection, especially monks and nuns. More sermons discouraged anger or warned of God’s wrath against the unforgiving without detailing the norms for forgiveness.

Martin Luther: A Late Medieval Life by Volker Leppin

Reviewed by: Martin Luther: A Late Medieval Life by Volker Leppin Sherry Jordon Martin Luther: A Late Medieval Life. By Volker Leppin. Translated by Rhys Bezzant and Karen Roe. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017. 135 pp. This book offers a concise biography of Luther which incorporates the latest scholarship to describe Luther's life and the development of his theology. It is an English translation of a book originally published in German in 2010 with the more striking title: Martin Luther: Vom Mönch zum Feind des Papstes (Martin Luther: From Monk to Enemy of the Pope). The author is professor of church history at the University of Tübingen and continues Heiko Oberman's legacy of placing Luther in his late medieval context. Leppin accomplishes this by describing how Luther's later theological convictions shaped his accounts of earlier events. For example, Leppin discusses how Luther's reflections on his monastic life are viewed through the lens of his later theological understanding of justification by faith. Leppin therefore refers to Luther's earlier writings to describe how monastic life, and especially his relationship with Staupitz, contributed to his theological and spiritual development. In fact, he uses the term "Staupitzianism" to characterize the depth of his influence on Luther and attributes Luther's development of sola gratia to Staupitz's understanding of a compassionate and merciful Christ. Leppin also reads Luther's 1545 description of his Reformation breakthrough with skepticism and argues for a gradual development of his theology grounded in a new approach to scripture. Luther interpreted the text as a direct address to the believer, an approach also found in late medieval sermons influenced by German Dominican mysticism (20–22). For Leppin, Luther's reform is inspired and nurtured by late-medieval piety and mysticism rather than a revolt against it. He describes the supporting role that humanism played in Luther's turn to the Bible (especially Paul) and the early church fathers (particularly Augustine), but Staupitz and late medieval mysticism emerge as the primary influences on Luther's theology. The book is structured chronologically, with most chapters describing Luther's role at specific times in his life: The Son, The Monk, the Young Professor, The Publicist, The Prophet, The [End Page 461] Preacher-Bishop, the Educator, The Outsider, and The Old Professor. The two exceptions are "The Year of Climax, 1525," and a concluding chapter titled "The End of Life." This structure reflects Leppin's conviction that 1525 was a turning point in Luther's life, when he was forced to the margins of reform as the charismatic movement he founded became institutionalized and ecclesiastical leadership transitioned to political authorities (89, 91–92). As a result, Luther's life after 1525 is limited to a few concluding chapters which emphasize the role that Philipp Melanchthon and the German princes played in consolidating reform. Leppin discusses some of the key events and controversies of Luther's life after 1525, but he presents Luther as an outsider who plays only an advisory role in the consolidation of reform. This biography would serve as a scholarly introduction to Luther's life and thought in undergraduate religion classes and congregations, especially if the readers have some previous theological background. Even then, it will be a challenging text and require additional explanation. For example, Leppin points to the centrality of justification in Luther's theology and biblical interpretation, but the term itself is not defined and there is no discussion of how his use of the term differs from that of Paul or the Nominalists. Perhaps because this text is an edited version of a larger biography, there are also some points where the connection between ideas is unclear. For example, Leppin asserts that a crucial moment in Luther's development of the principle of sola fide can be traced to the disputation at Heidelberg in 1518 but never explains how that is the case. The addition of an index would also be helpful. However, this text offers an excellent, concise biography of Luther that situates him in his late medieval context and within the academic and monastic communities that shaped his life and thought. [End Page 462] Sherry Jordon University of...

‘Christ and the soul are like Pyramus and Thisbe’: An Ovidian Story in Fifteenth-Century Sermons

ABSTRACTThe sophisticated ways in which several fifteenth-century preachers used Ovidian stories and their allegorical interpretations prove that late medieval sermons represent a promising but neglected area for classical reception studies. Preachers – whose names are today almost forgotten by scholars but whose sermons circulated at large in early printed books – considered Ovidian allegories as powerful instruments for instructing, entertaining, and moving their audiences. This article begins with a review of the literature on the presence of Ovid in sermons, and discusses the methodology to study the transformation of classical myths in preaching. Then, it focuses on four sermons that incorporated the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, which appears in the sermon collections written by Conrad Grütsch, Johann Meder, and Jacobus de Lenda. The repeated use of this Ovidian myth allows us, therefore, to investigate how different preachers appropriated and re-elaborated this story, and the role that it played in diverse contexts. Finally, the analysis of these texts also sheds light on the use of the Ovidius moralizatus in fifteenth-century sermons.

From Words to Deeds: The Effectiveness of Preaching in the Late Middle Ages ed. by Maria Giuseppina Muzzarelli

Reviewed by: From Words to Deeds: The Effectiveness of Preaching in the Late Middle Ages ed. by Maria Giuseppina Muzzarelli Samuel Baudinette Muzzarelli, Maria Giuseppina, ed., From Words to Deeds: The Effectiveness of Preaching in the Late Middle Ages (Sermo, 12), Turnhout, Brepols, 2014; hardback; pp. x, 252; 2 b/w illustrations, 2 b/w tables; R.R.P. €75.00; ISBN 9782503549255. The studies in this volume have resulted from a conference held in 2010 at the Università di Bologna exploring the relationship between words and deeds in late medieval preaching. As Maria Giuseppina Muzzarelli explains in her Introduction, the principle aim of the conference was to open a collective dialogue on the effectiveness of preaching by exploring the ‘fruits’ borne of late medieval sermons. The volume is separated into two thematic parts. Part I examines religious communication by exploring the efficacy of preachers’ words and speech, while Part II explores how preaching affected society more broadly. Although the book’s title does not indicate it, this collection focuses almost exclusively—there are only a few exceptions—on preaching in Italy, with the majority of contributions concerned with the Franciscan Observance. This volume, therefore, will be of primary interest to scholars specialising in late medieval and early modern Italian preaching. [End Page 272] Although the collection of articles appears interdisciplinary with its broad range of different responses to medieval preaching, the volume as a whole feels disconnected and unfocused. While some of the chapters are particularly interesting—Shunji Oguro’s exploration of the role of ruminatio in Italian sermon reportationes is a good example—others seem less relevant or engaging. Marina Montesano’s chapter on representations of witchcraft in Bernadino di Siena’s preaching, for instance, is more concerned with a lengthy and derivative discussion of anti-witchcraft legislation than an in-depth examination of the sermons that are its ostensible main focus. The best contributions are historiographical interventions in the field of sermon studies, which nicely broaden the overall scope of the collection. These studies seek to move away from the dominant focus on Italy, and include Bert Roest’s essay on Franciscan Observant preaching from Germany, and Alberto Cadili’s examination of sermons delivered at the ecumenical church councils of the fifteenth century. Both chapters admirably consider the relationship between preacher and audience and discuss the role sermons played in disseminating ideas by focusing on largely unexamined and unknown case examples. Despite these highlights, this is a problematic volume: in addition to the lack of cohesion already noted, it is plagued by typographical and grammatical errors, as well as poor punctuation and often less-than-rigorous academic prose. Dropped and missing citations are also a major problem. Readers hoping for a comprehensive collection of studies investigating the effectiveness of late medieval preaching may find themselves disappointed. Samuel Baudinette Monash University Copyright © 2016 Samuel Baudinette

“he is bothyn modyr, broþyr, & syster vn-to me”

Examining recent claims that the early modern Bible served as an empowering force for women, this article draws evidence from English sermons designed for quotidinal lay instruction—such as the late medieval sermons of Festial, the sixteenth-century Tudor Homilies, and the seventeenth-century sermons of William Gouge and Benjamin Keach. As didactic religious texts written and delivered by men but also heard and read by women, sermons reveal how preachers rhetorically shaped the contours of women’s agency. Late medieval sermons include women specifically in scripture and authorize women through biblical role models as actively participating within the church. Conversely, early modern sermons were less likely to add women into scripture and more likely to use scripture to limit women by their domestic identities. Thus, through their approaches to biblical texts, medieval preachers present women as more visible and active agents whereas early modern preachers present women as less visible and more limited in their roles—thereby presenting a more complex story of how the Bible affected women across the Reformation.

Discovering Performance Indicators in Late Medieval Sermons

(2010). Discovering Performance Indicators in Late Medieval Sermons. Medieval Sermon Studies: Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 75-86.

Women and Spiritual Equality in Christian Tradition

Acknowledgements Introduction The Spiritual Nature of Woman in Scripture and Early Christian Writings Women in Early Christian Communities Fourth-Century Theologians Fourth-Century Women Devotional Life and Mary in Late Antiquity Early Medieval Saints: East and West Early Medieval Monasticism and Church Life The High Middle Ages: Hermits and Scholars The New Spirituality and Medieval Culture Late Medieval Mysticism and the Devotio Moderna Women in Late Medieval Sermons, Literature and the Arts Reformation, Counter Reformation, and Enlightenment Opinions of Women Notes Bibliography

Keeping the Judge in Mind: Representations of Justice in Late Medieval Sermons

The essay argues that the communicative functions of the German sermons of Berthold von Regensburg cannot be limited to the central aspect of spiritual welfare. These sermons also fulfil an important role in establishing legal maxims: behind their theological form, the texts mediate social and legal norms to be followed in everyday life.