Death and Afterlife in the Pages of Gregory of Tours: Religion and Society in Late Antique Gaul

Description

Gregory of Tours was a bishop of late antiquity who was famously devoted to promoting the efficacy of saintly powers. In his writings, both historical and hagiographical, Gregory depicted the saints and reprobates of his age. This book analyses Gregory’s writings about death and the afterlife, thereby illuminating the bishop’s pastoral imperative to save souls and revealing his opinions about the fates of Merovingian royals, among many others he mentions in his voluminous text. The study provides insight into Gallic peoples living at the dawning of the Middle Ages and their hopes and fears about the otherworld. It affords an original, nuanced interpretation of Gregory’s motives for penning his works, particularly the Historiae, which remained unfinished upon the author’s death. Cover Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction Part I: Death 1. Peering into the Invisible World Death and the Little Boy Becoming Gregory I Conclusion 2. Maturing Spiritually in a Perilous World Death and the Aspiring Cleric Becoming Gregory II Studium ad ecclesiastica scripta Conclusion 3. Pastoring from the Pulpit and the Page Death and the Bishop Death and the Historian? Bishop, Author, Pastor Writings and Sermons Sin, Penance, Grace Living Holy People Sinners Conclusion Part II: Afterlife 4. Discerning the Denizens of Heaven and Hell The Saved Visionaries and Heaven Communicating Salvation: Migrare and Transire Hellmates Signs of Condemnation Communicating Damnation: Interire, Iudicium Dei, Ultio Divina Lessons and Warnings for Contemporaries Conclusion 5. Fathoming the Fates of the Merovingians Merovingians in Heaven King Clovis and Queen Clotild King Theudebert Merovingians in Hell King Chlodomer A Mixed Bag: Kings Theuderic, Theudebald, Childebert I, Chlothar I and Prince Chramn Kings Charibert and Sigibert Kings Chilperic and Guntram Conclusion 6. Conclusion Killer Queen(s) King Guntram and Gregory’s Unfinished Project Afterword Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Works Index