Passion Relics and the Medieval Imagination

Passion Relics and the Medieval Imagination
Author :
Publisher : University of California Press
Total Pages : 175
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780520305267
ISBN-13 : 0520305264
Rating : 4/5 (67 Downloads)

Synopsis Passion Relics and the Medieval Imagination by : Cynthia Hahn

Although objects associated with the Passion and suffering of Christ are among the most important and sacred relics venerated by the Catholic Church, this is the first study that considers how they were presented to the faithful. Cynthia Hahn adopts an accessible, informative, and holistic approach to the important history of Passion relics—first the True Cross, and then the collective group of Passion relics—examining their display in reliquaries, their presentation in church environments, their purposeful collection as centerpieces in royal and imperial collections, and finally their veneration in pictorial form as Arma Christi. Tracing the ways that Passion relics appear and disappear in response to Christian devotion and to historical phenomena, ranging from pilgrimage and the Crusades to the promotion of imperial power, this groundbreaking investigation presents a compelling picture of a very important aspect of late medieval and early modern devotion.

Holy Bones, Holy Dust

Holy Bones, Holy Dust
Author :
Publisher : Yale University Press
Total Pages : 396
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780300166590
ISBN-13 : 0300166591
Rating : 4/5 (90 Downloads)

Synopsis Holy Bones, Holy Dust by : Charles Freeman

Relics were everywhere in medieval society. Saintly morsels such as bones, hair, teeth, blood, milk, and clothes, and items like the Crown of Thorns, coveted by Louis IX of France, were thought to bring the believer closer to the saint, who might intercede with God on his or her behalf. In the first comprehensive history in English of the rise of relic cults, Charles Freeman takes readers on a vivid, fast-paced journey from Constantinople to the northern Isles of Scotland over the course of a millennium.In "Holy Bones, Holy Dust," Freeman illustrates that the pervasiveness and variety of relics answered very specific needs of ordinary people across a darkened Europe under threat of political upheavals, disease, and hellfire. But relics were not only venerated--they were traded, collected, lost, stolen, duplicated, and destroyed. They were bargaining chips, good business and good propaganda, politically appropriated across Europe, and even used to wield military power. Freeman examines an expansive array of relics, showing how the mania for these objects deepens our understanding of the medieval world and why these relics continue to capture our imagination.

Strange Beauty

Strange Beauty
Author :
Publisher : Penn State Press
Total Pages : 318
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780271050782
ISBN-13 : 0271050780
Rating : 4/5 (82 Downloads)

Synopsis Strange Beauty by : Cynthia Jean Hahn

"A study of reliquaries as a form of representation in medieval art. Explores how reliquaries stage the importance and meaning of relics using a wide range of artistic means from material and ornament to metaphor and symbolism"--Provided by publisher.

The Reliquary Effect

The Reliquary Effect
Author :
Publisher : Reaktion Books
Total Pages : 330
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781780237022
ISBN-13 : 1780237022
Rating : 4/5 (22 Downloads)

Synopsis The Reliquary Effect by : Cynthia Hahn

From skeletons to strips of cloth to little pieces of dust, reliquaries can be found in many forms, and while sometimes they may seem grotesque on their surface, they are nonetheless invested with great spiritual and memorial value. In this book, Cynthia Hahn offers the first full survey in English of the societal value of reliquaries, showing how they commemorate religious and historical events and, more important, inspire awe, faith, and, for many, the miraculous. Hahn looks deeply into the Christian tradition, examining relics and reliquaries throughout history and around the world, going from the earliest years of the cult of saints through to the post-Reformation response. She looks at relic footprints, incorrupt bodies, the Crown of Thorns, the Shroud of Turin, and many other renowned relics, and she shows how the architectural creation of sacred space and the evocation of the biblical tradition of the temple is central to the reliquary’s numinous power. She also discusses relics from other traditions—especially from Buddhism and Islam—and she even looks at how reliquaries figure in contemporary art. Fascinatingly illustrated throughout, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the enduring power of sacred objects.

The Basilica of Saint John Lateran to 1600

The Basilica of Saint John Lateran to 1600
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Total Pages : 609
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781108839761
ISBN-13 : 1108839762
Rating : 4/5 (61 Downloads)

Synopsis The Basilica of Saint John Lateran to 1600 by : L. Bosman

The first inter-disciplinary study to examine the construction and development of the world's first cathedral from its origins to 1600.

The Texture of Images

The Texture of Images
Author :
Publisher : BRILL
Total Pages : 574
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789004440128
ISBN-13 : 9004440127
Rating : 4/5 (28 Downloads)

Synopsis The Texture of Images by : Livia Cárdenas

Textures of Images presents for the first time a fundamental analysis and synopsis of the printed relic-book genre. The author brings into focus the specific mediality and aesthetics of this kind of printed books between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.

The Sepulchre of Christ and the Medieval West

The Sepulchre of Christ and the Medieval West
Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Total Pages : 456
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780191520600
ISBN-13 : 0191520608
Rating : 4/5 (00 Downloads)

Synopsis The Sepulchre of Christ and the Medieval West by : Colin Morris

The tomb of Christ at Jerusalem was a vital influence in the making of Western Europe. Pilgrimage there influenced the development of society and its structures. The desire to 'bring the Sepulchre to the West' in copies or memorials shaped art and religion, while the ambition to control Christ's tomb was a central objective of the crusades. Western Europe responded to the loss of Jerusalem by creating a new pilgrimage to the East, by making kingdoms 'holy lands' for their subjects, and by creating new pilgrim centres at home. This book brings together social, political, and religious themes often considered in isolation.

Time, Work, and Culture in the Middle Ages

Time, Work, and Culture in the Middle Ages
Author :
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Total Pages : 400
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780226470818
ISBN-13 : 0226470814
Rating : 4/5 (18 Downloads)

Synopsis Time, Work, and Culture in the Middle Ages by : Jacques Le Goff

"When I studied these manuals, a source then little exploited, I noticed that the academic, like the merchant, was justified by reference to the labor he accomplished. The novelty of the academics thus ultimately appeared to lie in their role as intellectual workers. My attention was therefore drawn to two notions whose ideological avatars I attempted to trace through the concrete social conditions in which they developed. These notions were labor and time. Under these two heads I maintain two open files, from which some of the articles collected here are drawn. I am still persuaded that attitudes toward work and time are essential aspects of social structure and function, and that the study of such attitudes offers a useful tool for the historian who wishes to examine the societies in which they develop."--Preface, page xii

A Companion to the Abbey of Cluny in the Middle Ages

A Companion to the Abbey of Cluny in the Middle Ages
Author :
Publisher : BRILL
Total Pages : 401
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789004499232
ISBN-13 : 9004499237
Rating : 4/5 (32 Downloads)

Synopsis A Companion to the Abbey of Cluny in the Middle Ages by :

"Founded in 910 by Duke William of Aquitaine, the abbey of Cluny rose to prominence in the eleventh century as the most influential and opulent center for monastic devotion in medieval Europe. While the twelfth century brought challenges, both internal and external, the Cluniacs showed remarkable adaptability in the changing religious climate of the high Middle Ages. Written by international experts representing a range of academic disciplines, the contributions to this volume examine the rich textual and material sources for Cluny's history, offering not only a thorough introduction to the distinctive character of Cluniac monasticism in the Middle Ages, but also the lineaments of a detailed research agenda for the next generation of historians. Contributors are: Isabelle Rosé, Steven Vanderputten, Marc Saurette, Denyse Riche, Susan Boynton, Anne Baud, Sébastien Barret, Robert Berkhofer III, Isabelle Cochelin, Michael Hänchen, Gert Melville, Eliana Magnani, Constance Bouchard, Benjamin Pohl, and Scott G. Bruce"--

Armenia

Armenia
Author :
Publisher : Metropolitan Museum of Art
Total Pages : 360
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781588396600
ISBN-13 : 1588396606
Rating : 4/5 (00 Downloads)

Synopsis Armenia by : Helen C. Evans

At the foot of Mount Ararat on the crossroads of the eastern and western worlds, medieval Armenians dominated international trading routes that reached from Europe to China and India to Russia. As the first people to convert officially to Christianity, they commissioned and produced some of the most extraordinary religious objects of the Middle Ages. These objects—from sumptuous illuminated manuscripts to handsome carvings, liturgical furnishings, gilded reliquaries, exquisite textiles, and printed books—show the strong persistence of their own cultural identity, as well as the multicultural influences of Armenia’s interactions with Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Muslims, Mongols, Ottomans, and Europeans. This unprecedented volume, written by a team of international scholars and members of the Armenian religious community, contextualizes and celebrates the compelling works of art that define Armenian medieval culture. It features breathtaking photographs of archaeological sites and stunning churches and monasteries that help fill out this unique history. With groundbreaking essays and exquisite illustrations, Armenia illuminates the singular achievements of a great medieval civilization. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana}