Marginality, Media, and Mutations of Religious Authority in the History of Christianity

Description

Marginal figures, from heretics, ascetics and mystics to saints, visionaries and witches have played key roles in decisive mutations of religious authority in the history of different forms of Christianity. This book offers new theoretical perspectives on the theme of marginality in a series of in-depth case studies of marginal figures and forms of marginality. It presents a distinction between social marginality, often resulting from social exclusion and demonization as well as involving discomfort and distress, and religious marginality, which can be voluntary, actively sought out, and performed. The contributions analyse both social and religious forms of marginality and demonstrate how a focus on media is crucial for understanding the role of marginality in authority mutations in the long history of Christianity. The articles discuss a wide range of media, from amulets, space, technologies of the self, literary forms, to visual culture and mass and social media. The book thus offers media-based pointers for comparative, historical studies more broadly in the study of religions. CONTENTS PREFACE NOTES ON THE CONTRIBUTORS I. MARGINALITY, MEDIA, AND MUTATIONS OF RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY II. ATHANASIUS’ MARGINALITY, SPATIALITY AND MEDIALITY III. CHARISMATIC TEXTUALITY AND THE MEDIATION OF CHRISTIANITY IN LATE ANTIQUE EGYPT1 IV. LETTERS FROM THE WILDERNESS . MARGINALITY, LITERARITY, AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY CHANGES IN LATE ANTIQUE GAUL V. SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN, MYSTICAL POETRY, AND THE RESPONSE TO THE TEXTUALISATION OF SAINTHOOD IN BYZANTIUM VI. THE WRITTEN MEDIA OF IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT AND A MARTYR’S CAREER: JUSTIN MARTYR’S VII. VIS.KNUT: MARGINALITY IN FOLKLORE AND FOLK RELIGION VIII. AUTHORITY, GENRE AND RESISTANCE: CHILD MURDER IN MEDIEVAL NORWICH, AND ITS AFTERMATH IX. WRATH AND FEAR. LUTHERANISM AND THE MARGINALISATION OF WITCHES IN EARLY MODERN DENMARK X. MUTATIONS OF RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY IN CONTEMPORARY NORWAY . MARGINALITY AND MEDIATISATION IN THE CASE OF THE MAN FROM SNÅSA XI. CATHOLIC MIGRANT, UNKNOWN VISIONARY XII. PRAYERS AND STORIES AS MEDIA AND MATERIALITY: CHANGING SOURCES OF AUTHORITY IN THE EMERGING CHURCH MOVEMENT INDEX OF NAMES AND SUBJECTS