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IMC 2021: Sessions

Session 1622: Uses and Interpretations of the Bible

Thursday 8 July 2021, 11.15-12.45

Moderator/Chair:Sita Steckel, Historisches Seminar, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
Paper 1622-aCrossing the Border-Line between Arianism and Nicene Orthodoxy: Gothic Terms in German Gospels
(Language: English)
Maxim Domsky, Independent Scholar, Perm
Index terms: Ecclesiastical History, Language and Literature - German
Paper 1622-bThe Homiliary of Angers (Angers, Bibliothèque Municipale, 236) and the Everyday
(Language: English)
Aidan Conti, Senter for middelalderstudier, Universitetet i Bergen
Index terms: Daily Life, Language and Literature - Latin, Manuscripts and Palaeography, Sermons and Preaching
Paper 1622-cThe Vernacular Bible: The Sources for Middle Dutch and Old Polish Compilations and Translations of Biblical Stories
(Language: English)
Małgorzata Dowlaszewicz, Department of Dutch Studies, University of Wrocław
Index terms: Biblical Studies, Language and Literature - Dutch, Language and Literature - Slavic
Abstract

Paper -a:
The paper examines the question of the Arian influence on the German church in the Early Middle Ages. Given the important role of the New Testament, the analysis will be confined to Gospel terminology. The paper pursues two aims: to examine how gospel terminology was translated into Old High German, and to evaluate the extent of Gothic influence on early German ecclesiastical vocabulary. It is structured around local discussions of Christian concepts that are essential to the Gospels. Among these concepts are: 'baptism', 'church', 'cross', 'devil', 'heathen', 'hell', 'soul', 'sin' etc. In each case, possible links between German Christian texts and Wulfila's translation are explored.

Paper -b:
In the past decade, a significant body of research has asserted the anonymous Homiliary of Angers, a collection best preserved in Angers, Bibliothèque municipale, 236, as an important source for religious exposition and pastoral care for the laity as well as priests from the late 9th century on. To date, however, little and only sporadic work has addressed the contents of the collection. Employing theoretical frameworks on everyday life, this paper will treat the homiliary as a work that disseminated knowledge and shaped individual experience. As a collection of Sunday lessons covering the church year, the collection intimates the types of social relations and intellectual learning of both the observant layperson and the clergy.

Paper -c:
The Bible was translated into vernacular throughout the Middle Ages in most regions of Europe. Two examples that shall be the base of my presentation are Dutch and Polish translations and adaptations. The main question is how did the translator refer to their source(s) in the vernacular text. The main difference between the two cases (Dutch and Polish) is that there is plenty of comparative material in the first one whereas the other presents only fragmentary (often lost) texts with much less other sources that researchers can refer to. For the comparison of those two literary and translation cultures different types of text shall be used - mainly the translations and the paraphrases. I shall show how authors of translations and paraphrases of the Bible treated Scripture, whether they used the Vulgate or other compilations of it, whether they addressed this issue in their texts, and possibly what changes they made to the biblical texts and how they explained their choices.