IMC 2012: Sessions
Session 125: Christ, His Saints, and the Devil: Models of Sanctity and Lack Thereof
Monday 9 July 2012, 11.15-12.45
| Sponsor: | Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic, University of Cambridge |
|---|---|
| Organiser: | Sarah Waidler, 6 Laburnum Road OXFORD OX2 3EL |
| Moderator/Chair: | Christine Voth, Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic, University of Cambridge |
| Paper 125-a | Devils and Their Details: Proactive Demons and Reactive Holy Men in Ælfric's Catholic Homilies (Language: English) Index terms: Hagiography, Sermons and Preaching, Theology |
| Paper 125-b | Saintly Values: Composition and Purpose in Two Medieval Irish Saints' Lives (Language: English) Index terms: Hagiography, Language and Literature - Celtic, Religious Life, Theology |
| Paper 125-c | Aspiring to Godliness: The Model Christ(ian) of the Old English Homilies (Language: English) Index terms: Language and Literature - Old English, Sermons and Preaching, Theology |
| Abstract | This session will discuss just what it is to aspire to be Christ-like in virtuous behaviour, and what the opposite entails. Examining texts ranging from Medieval Irish hagiography to Old English sermons and poetry, the three speakers will look at some of the characteristics of the spiritual prototypes, namely saints, the devil, and Christ, commonly encountered in Insular religious genres, and whether there are rules for how texts are composed and concepts are narrated. This comparative session will attempt to determine the regularity of such depictions throughout the Insular world and the strictures of the frameworks into which they fall. |