Sacred Biography: Saints And Their Biographers in the Middle Ages - Couverture rigide

Heffernan, Thomas J.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0195052250 ISBN 13 : 9780195052251

Editeur : Oxford University Press Inc, 1989

Synopsis

This book sets out to show that the labelling by modern historiographers of these complex medieval works as `pious fiction' reflects a basic misunderstanding of their authors' intentions. The author reconstructs the medieval perspective, showing that it entailed a completely different way of conceptualizing the past. In so doing, he not only achieves a more accurate understanding of the medieval saints' lives, but details a new critical method that has important implications for the practice of textual criticism generally.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Medieval "saints' lives" are among the oldest literary texts of Western vernacular culture, yet are routinely patronized as "pious fiction". Heffernan demonstrates that to characterize the genre as fiction is to misunderstand the intentions of medieval authors, who were neither simply credulous or blinded by piety. Concentrating on Latin and English texts, Heffernan reconstructs the medieval perspective, arguing that such biographical writing presupposes an entirely different view of the world and the self, and presents new ideas of sin and guilt, of what was real and what imaginary, and for what one should live and die. Offering a new perspective on Christian literary expression, this book will appeal to scholars in Medieval, Religious and New Testament studies, Feminist Studies, and those interested in the history of Christian spirituality.

Revue de presse

A challenging and substantive contribution to the growing discussion of the lives of the saints among scholars in both the humanities and the social sciences. (Theological Studies)

Heffernan has read widely and reflectively in the vast field of medieval hagiography and given us a book on the subject that probes deeply into the nature of the documents and the vagaries of our response to them. (Church History)

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press Inc
• Date d'édition: 1989
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0195052250
• ISBN 13: 9780195052251
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 345
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Messaggerie Libri; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; Italie