Carolingian Doubt?
Jinty Nelson
This essay seeks to refute the idea that doubt is an essentially modern phenomenon and show was also a feature of earlier medieval existence. It argues in Carolingian period, for both individuals groups, debate, disturbance religious coexisted uneasily with faith cultic community. Religious experience examined at level individuals, larger social organizations. Three case studies focus on noblewoman Dhuoda, unique having left detailed record spiritual life lived out within family political relationships once collaborative conflictual; heretic Gottschalk, whose voluminous works reveal something his spirituality much about pressures taxed faith; Archbishop Elipand Toledo, Church leader living under Muslim rule, accused heresy by Christian scholars themselves uncertain their ground. Two further sections discuss particular contexts which doubts were harboured: conversion from paganism, world mission; local cults relics depended establishing authenticity where there had been doubt, then forming believer-solidarities. Finally figure Doubting Thomas considered period when cult sustained individual identities dyadic founded oaths fidelity mutual trust but collective solidarities.
Studies in Church History