The church in the medieval imagination, 1100-1170
The imagination was a power at the heart of medieval Christianity. Every aspect of medieval religion can be related to that central theme. The power to represent the absent was essential to a world that believed that God had become a man and died and been resurrected. But historians have until now preferred to break apart what was for medieval Christians a united vision. A distinction is observed in modern research between the imagination as a mental power and imagination as a social enterprise. The capacity to perceive the unseen in the mind is not related to the use of images to describe the Christian world. The purpose of this thesis is to restore the medieval vision of the imagination as a power used to capture a divine truth and to disclose this truth in Christian images. It shows how this power was a motive force in the Church at a time of unprecedented change. Prominent churchmen like Bernard of Clairvaux and John of Salisbury used forceful images in their letters and other works to capture and to communicate the mystery of God. These images were used to promote a fearsome encounter with a Lord who was seen to fill the Church and the Christian people. The collision of God and the soul that was created
Murphy, Daniel
The church in the medieval imagination, 1100-1170. The imagination was a power at the heart of medieval Christianity. Every aspect of medieval religion can be related to that central theme. The power to represent the absent was essential to a world that believed that God had become a man and died and been resurrected. But historians have until now preferred to break apart what was for medieval Christians a united vision. A distinction is observed in modern research between the imagination as a mental power and imagination as a social enterprise. The capacity to perceive the unseen in the mind is not related to the use of images to describe the Christian world. The purpose of this thesis is to restore the medieval vision of the imagination as a power used to capture a divine truth and to disclose this truth in Christian images. It shows how this power was a motive force in the Church at a time of unprecedented change. Prominent churchmen like Bernard of Clairvaux and John of Salisbury used forceful images in their letters and other works to capture and to communicate the mystery of God. These images were used to promote a fearsome encounter with a Lord who was seen to fill the Church and the Christian people. The collision of God and the soul that was created
church medieval imagination imagination power heart medieval christianity every_aspect medieval religion related central_theme power represent absent essential world believe god become man die resurrect historian prefer break apart medieval christians united vision distinction observe modern imagination mental power imagination social enterprise capacity perceive unseen mind relate use image describe christian world purpose restore medieval vision imagination power use_capture divine truth disclose truth christian image show power motive force church time unprecedented change prominent churchman like john use image letter work capture communicate mystery god image use promote encounter lord see fill church christian people collision god soul create