IMC 2017: Sessions

Scholarship devoted to the medieval episcopacy and secular clergy regularly engages with their roles as establishment insiders. In keeping with the thematic strand this series of three panels explores how rhetorics of the 'other' have been used to define and interpret ecclesiastical figures in the medieval as well as modern eras. This final session combines papers with a discussion of approaches that broaden examination of the 'other' in relation to the study of the medieval clergy. Barnes considers the built environment of Rome during late antiquity to address episcopal attitudes towards the participation of elite women in religious practice. Byrne employs the 12th-century bishop Baldwin of Forde as a case study to interrogate conventions of historical method and perceptions of 'otherness'. Carlson’s study of Edmund Cornwall’s acquisition of the heart of the bishop saint Thomas Cantilupe demonstrates ways the intersection of queer theory and historical inquiry render visible evidence of male intimacy. The closing discussion will reflect on themes shared across all three sessions with a formative conversation about ways the study of the medieval episcopacy and secular clergy can address issues of inclusiveness and interdisciplinarity.