Introduction: Devotion and Emotions in the Middle Ages
Tracy Adams
Introduction: Devotion and Emotions in the Middle Ages Tracy Adams, Guest Editor We might point to any number of statements as heralding rapid rise history emotions a subfield over past few decades, but an observation by Peter Gay 1985 seems especially apt: professional historian, whether consciously or not, “operates with theory human nature; he attributes motives, studies passions, analyzes irrationality, constructs his work on tacit conviction that beings possess certain stable discernible traits, predictable, at least discoverable modes coping their experience” (6). In other words, has rendered self-conscious type theorizing historians had always done without acknowledging it. Gay’s was emphasize sea change taken place since 1961, when, annual meeting Society for French Historical Studies, proposed period between Louis XVI’s flight Varennes execution aroused communal “bearing lineaments, producing guilt feelings, parricide.” What seemed audience egregious transgression, equivalent speaking witchcraft medical meeting, observed, accepted normal practice (12–13). Accepted 1985, borrow Barbara Rosenwein’s “as focus rather than colorful aside” (Emotional Communities 5), now thrives centers devoted field spread throughout world. Moreover, study is no longer carried out only, even primarily, historians, become truly interdisciplinary area research. The sheer monographs, collections, articles subject researchers from different disciplines bears witness virtually unanimous assumption such are not only legitimate necessary: action cannot be grasped fully product rational decisions made people acting according conscious beliefs. [End Page 173] essays this collection aim explore some which our medieval forebears put what we today think emotions: how they used making sense nature, keeping peace, educating communities, marking social distinctions. diverse, representing several disciplines. However, reflections address common themes. One concepts through men women thought about call “emotion.” word “emotion” its cognates take present meaning eighteenth century, thus it necessary make vocabularies exploring early counterparts understood phenomenon (Harré Gillett 152–53). Another vitality interest relationship emotion devotion: perceived need regulation devotion various emotional regimes. Still another variety ways private phenomenon. all build recent Ages, which, ever Rosenwein clear years millennium revise notion given naïve violent expression many directions. Several overviews scholarship have laid major developments relatively new field.1 I will recycle these useful introductions here. Rather, situate volume, describe basic assumptions theoreticians, both theologian-philosophers lay people, were working authors here construct analyses. Important note conceptions derived wide sources, that, depending who read, theoreticians can sorted roughly into two groups, one emphasizing irrational aspect rational. first, tradition traceable Plato, imagined pathē, wild perturbations arose part soul needed mastered; most frequently cited passage definition...
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