Medieval Religion Research Articles

The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic ed. by David J. Collins, S.J.

The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic ed. by David J. Collins, S.J.

New Books across the Disciplines

New Books across the Disciplines

St. Stephen's College, Westminster: A Royal Chapel and English Kingship, 1348–1548. By Elizabeth Biggs. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 50. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2020. xi + 248 pp. $99.00 hardcover.

St. Stephen's College, Westminster: A Royal Chapel and English Kingship, 1348–1548. By Elizabeth Biggs. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 50. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2020. xi + 248 pp. $99.00 hardcover.

David J. Collins, S.J. (ed.), The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019, 304 p., 6 b/w ill.

This wide-ranging collection of essays was inspired by the work of Richard Kieckhefer, best known for his research on medieval magic, but it serves as a festschrift celebrating his contributions to the field and reflecting his varied scholarly interests. Kieckhefer’s broad engagement in many aspects of the Middle Ages and the effort of the editor, David J. Collins, to express properly that diversity has resulted in an intriguing selection. In order to give coherence to this volume, Collins and the contributors elected to focus on Kieckhefer’s concern with duality (holy and unholy, magic and science, vision and possession et cetera) and his conclusion that these “oppositions” are simply two sides of the same coin. This tension and its resolution create an effective tread knitting these somewhat disparate chapters into a cohesive collection.

The sacred and the sinister. Studies in medieval religion and magic. Edited by David J. Collins sj. Pp. viii + 292 incl. 5 ills. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019. $74.95. 978 0 271 08240 0

The sacred and the sinister. Studies in medieval religion and magic. Edited by David J. Collins sj. Pp. viii + 292 incl. 5 ills. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019. $74.95. 978 0 271 08240 0 - Volume 72 Issue 1

Recent Trends and Future Directions in the Study of Medieval Religion, Heresy and Inquisitions

Recent Trends and Future Directions in the Study of Medieval Religion, Heresy and Inquisitions

The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic, ed. David J. Collins

The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic, ed. David J. Collins

David J. Collins S.J. (Editor). The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic. 292 pp., notes, bibl., index. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019. $74.95 (cloth).

Previous articleNext article No AccessMiddle Ages & RenaissanceDavid J. Collins S.J. (Editor). The Sacred and the Sinister: Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic. 292 pp., notes, bibl., index. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2019. $74.95 (cloth).Romedio Schmitz-EsserRomedio Schmitz-Esser Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Isis Volume 111, Number 3September 2020 Publication of the History of Science Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/710699 Views: 63Total views on this site © 2020 by The History of Science Society. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Comparative analysis of early medieval anthropomorphic wooden figurines from Poland. Representations of gods, deceased or ritual objects?

Miniature anthropomorphic images, due to their unique character, have attracted the attention of archaeologists for a very long time. This text analyses the forms, significance and functions of items coming from the early Middle Ages, which were discovered in the area of Poland. The set of wooden objects is diverse in terms of form and probably also in terms of meaning. The biggest number of artefacts come from Pomerania, but some of them were found in other places. The Baltic Sea basin will be used as a broad comparative background during this analysis. Information from written sources and from broad anthropological reflection will also be used in an attempt to determine the functions and meanings of these miniature figurines. Thanks to this analysis, it will be possible to show the importance of anthropomorphic figures in the context of early medieval religion and beliefs.

The Lateran Church in Rome and the Ark of the Covenant: Housing the Holy Relics of Jerusalem. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion. By Eivor Andersen Oftestad. Woodbridge: Boydell, 2019. xv + 257 pp. $120.00 cloth.

The Lateran Church in Rome and the Ark of the Covenant: Housing the Holy Relics of Jerusalem. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion. By Eivor Andersen Oftestad. Woodbridge: Boydell, 2019. xv + 257 pp. $120.00 cloth. - Volume 89 Issue 1

Darwin’s Cathedral, Bowlby’s Cloister: The Use of Attachment Theory for the Studies in Medieval Religion, with the Example of The Book of Margery Kempe

The article considers whether religion in general can be viewed as adaptation and if medieval Catholicism in particular can be seen as a reflection of the human necessity to be emotionally attached to a primary caregiver, especially in the early stages of people’s lives. It observes that in a period of high instability and often regressive child-rearing practices, God and/or a special saint could represent a stable and adequate attachment figure, facilitating relationships which contributed to mental well-being of the devotees. The article also suggests that, due to historic circumstances, the proportion of insecure attachment was probably higher among medieval populace than among modern people, and traces the evidence of such attachment style in The Book of Margery Kempe (late 1430s), arguably the first vernacular biography in English.

The Sacred and the Sinister. Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic ed. by Collins, David J., SJ

The Sacred and the Sinister. Studies in Medieval Religion and Magic ed. by Collins, David J., SJ

Saintly Women: Medieval Saints, Modern Women, and Intimate Partner Violence. Nancy E. Nienhuis and Beverly Mayne Kienzle. Routledge Studies in Medieval Religion and Culture 12. London: Routledge, 2018. xvi + 198 pp. $155.

Saintly Women: Medieval Saints, Modern Women, and Intimate Partner Violence. Nancy E. Nienhuis and Beverly Mayne Kienzle. Routledge Studies in Medieval Religion and Culture 12. London: Routledge, 2018. xvi + 198 pp. $155.

Elizabeth Biggs, St. Stephen’s College, Westminster: A Royal Chapel and English Kingship, 1348‐1548. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 50. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2020, 248 p., 6 b/w ill.

<?page nr="511"?>Elizabeth Biggs, <i>St. Stephen’s College, Westminster: A Royal Chapel and English Kingship, 1348‐1548.</i> Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 50. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press, 2020, 248 p., 6 b/w ill.

Literary Responses to Religious Debates at the Northern Zhou Court

In the fifth and sixth centuries, the status of the Buddhist and Daoist teachings underwent constant change. The tension between the two religious groups over state sponsorship heightened during the Northern Zhou dynasty, especially under the reign of Emperor Wu 北周武帝 (r. 560–578). While records about these events abound in historical and religious texts, very few literary pieces have survived and thus have received little attention. This article investigates three literary texts against this background, a bell inscription by Emperor Wu, and two poems by Yu Xin 庾信 (513–581 CE). My reading of Yu Xin’s allusions to Buddhism and Daoism reveals a complex attitude of the poet, who voiced veiled criticism of the sovereign through layers of allusions, and provides a rare window onto ways in which early medieval religions expanded the vision of literature of the time and enriched its imaginative realm.

Clive Burgess, “The Right Ordering of Souls”: The Parish of All Saints’ Bristol on the Eve of the Reformation. (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 47.) Woodbridge, UK: Boydell, 2018. Pp. xx, 463; 2 black-and-white figures and 3 maps. $99. ISBN: 978-1-78327-309-6.

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsClive Burgess, “The Right Ordering of Souls”: The Parish of All Saints’ Bristol on the Eve of the Reformation. (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 47.) Woodbridge, UK: Boydell, 2018. Pp. xx, 463; 2 black-and-white figures and 3 maps. $99. ISBN: 978-1-78327-309-6.Peter FlemingPeter FlemingUniversity of the West of England, Bristol, Emeritus Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Speculum Volume 94, Number 4October 2019 The journal of the Medieval Academy of America Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/705285 Views: 43Total views on this site Copyright 2019 by the Medieval Academy of America. All rights reserved. For permission to reuse, please contact [email protected]PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The right ordering of souls. The parish of All Saints’ Bristol on the eve of the Reformation. By Clive Burgess. (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion.) Pp. xxii + 469 incl. 3 ills and 2 maps. Woodbridge–Rochester: Boydell Press, 2018. £60. 978 1 78327 309 6

The right ordering of souls. The parish of All Saints’ Bristol on the eve of the Reformation. By Clive Burgess. (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion.) Pp. xxii + 469 incl. 3 ills and 2 maps. Woodbridge–Rochester: Boydell Press, 2018. £60. 978 1 78327 309 6

The Landscape of Pastoral Care in Thirteenth-Century England, by William H. Campbell

For many years, scholars of the medieval English church and of medieval religion more broadly have viewed the thirteenth century as a crucial period. The Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, bringing together many of the new developments already occurring in theology, canon law and lay religious practice, sought (among other things) to improve the education of the clergy and the pastoral care of the laity, with rulings on clerical education and confession. In the wake of this a series of bishops, friars and scholars with a ‘reforming’ agenda sought to regulate the behaviour and education of the clergy and thereby improve the pastoral care offered to lay people. Various aspects of this ‘reform’ movement have attracted much study in recent years: scholars working on preaching and on pastoral manuals, which were written to educate clergy and friars in hearing confessions and conducting pastoral care, have been especially active. Prior to...

Annotating theGolden Legendin Early Modern England

This article discusses annotations to some eighty surviving copies of William Caxton's “Golden Legend.” It assesses reactions from male and female readers across the religious spectrum, exploring the varied ways in which early modern readers engaged with a book that quickly became—and has remained—a shorthand for medieval religion. It seeks to contribute to the history of the “Legend” itself, to historical understanding of annotation, and to the history of reading during the Reformation.

Clive Burgess. The Right Ordering of Souls: The Parish of All Saints’, Bristol, on the Eve of the Reformation. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 47. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2018. Pp. 463. $99.00 (cloth).

Clive Burgess. The Right Ordering of Souls: The Parish of All Saints’, Bristol, on the Eve of the Reformation. Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 47. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2018. Pp. 463. $99.00 (cloth). - Volume 57 Issue 4