The text is a review of a chapter taken from a scholarly book on the resurrection of the body in medieval belief.
Table of Contents
1. General ideas on the resurrection belief
2. Methods of describing resurrection in spiritual literature
2.1. Hildegard of Bingen's view on the resurrection
3. Contrast between Benedictine and Cistercian methods
3.1. Cistercian view of the body in the resurrection
3.2. Bernard of Clairvaux's imagery
3.3. Herman of Reun's spiritual texts
3.4. Guerric of Igny's imagery
4. Peter the Venerable and the Pauline Seed
5. Otto of Freising's synthesis of scholastic and monastic tendencies
6. Popular iconography of the general resurrection in the High Middle Ages
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The work examines the scholarly, monastic, and iconographic representations of resurrection in the High Middle Ages, specifically analyzing how spiritual writers and artists conceptualized the transformation and reassemblage of the body to clarify the era's predominant religious faith.
- The distinction between the first (soul) and second (body) resurrection.
- The use of organic and inorganic imagery to depict the resurrected state.
- The role of psychosomatic unity in medieval theological thought.
- The connection between spiritual and physical corruption versus salvation.
- Iconographic interpretations of the "Mouth of Hell" and the reassembling body.
Excerpt from the Book
Psychosomatic Persons and Reclothed Skeletons: Images of Resurrection in Spiritual Writing and Iconography
Bynum starts her argumentation by initially explaining a few general ideas on that time´s resurrection belief: she indicates (and later says) that there was a distinction made between the first and the second resurrection, the resurrection of the soul immediately after the death and the resurrection of the body at the end of time. Unlike today, when many theologians do not believe in this resurrection of the body in the literal sense, this article of faith was totally normal and commonly approved in the Middle Ages. It seemed unlogical (since the soul was seen as incomplete without the body) and (according to God´s justice) unfair/unjust that the body should not be part of the soul´s eternal joy or punishment, although it was “the partner” in the soul´s earthly actions – whether good or evil.
After that the author continues her argumentation by exemplifying the ways with which resurrection and the resurrected body were described in medieval spiritual literature.
On account of this, Caroline W. Bynum refers to a very famous Benedictine abbess, natural philosopher, theologian, dramatist, and visionary: Hildegard of Bingen. She makes clear that in Hildegard´s literary works, there are two distinguishable “directions” of visualising the resurrection: on the one hand, Hildegard uses images of (positive) transformation to illustrate resurrection as for instance the flowering of plants into blossoms and seeds; and on the other hand she depicts resurrection as a reassemblage of scattered bones that would rise from the dead, be covered with flesh to form the body a person had in his or her life on earth, that could then join the soul in blessedness or punishment.
Summary of Chapters
1. General ideas on the resurrection belief: Introduces the historical context of medieval resurrection beliefs and the crucial distinction between the resurrection of the soul and the physical body.
2. Methods of describing resurrection in spiritual literature: Explores how medieval writers utilized literary devices to visualize the transition of the human body.
2.1. Hildegard of Bingen's view on the resurrection: Analyzes Hildegard's use of organic and inorganic metaphors to describe the body as a psychosomatic unity.
3. Contrast between Benedictine and Cistercian methods: Compares the varying theological approaches to the body within different monastic orders.
3.1. Cistercian view of the body in the resurrection: Details the Cistercian emphasis on the necessity of the body for the soul's ultimate happiness.
3.2. Bernard of Clairvaux's imagery: Examines Bernard's darker, often inorganic metaphors regarding decay and the resurrection.
3.3. Herman of Reun's spiritual texts: Discusses the emphasis on rot and the purification of the body through reassemblage.
3.4. Guerric of Igny's imagery: Highlights Guerric's more optimistic approach, frequently transmuting organic imagery into inorganic objects.
4. Peter the Venerable and the Pauline Seed: Explains the metaphor of the seed as a bridge between the spiritual soul and the material body.
5. Otto of Freising's synthesis of scholastic and monastic tendencies: Discusses the combination of material continuity and the transformed, "clothed" nature of the resurrected spirit.
6. Popular iconography of the general resurrection in the High Middle Ages: Explores how visual arts supported the theological belief in the physical reassemblage of human remains.
Keywords
Resurrection, Middle Ages, Psychosomatic Unity, High Middle Ages, Caroline Walker Bynum, Scholasticism, Monasticism, Iconography, Spiritual Literature, Organic Imagery, Inorganic Imagery, Hildegard of Bingen, Bernard of Clairvaux, Mouth of Hell, Pauline Seed
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this chapter review?
This work reviews Caroline Walker Bynum's scholarly examination of how medieval writers and artists represented the resurrection of the body in the High Middle Ages.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The text focuses on the theological and iconographic representations of death, the distinction between the soul's resurrection and the body's resurrection, and the fear of physical and moral corruption.
What is the core research question or objective?
The objective is to clarify the general resurrection belief around 1200 AD by analyzing the predominant images and literary devices used by medieval spiritual writers.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a comparative analysis of spiritual literature, theological treatises, and iconographic evidence from the High Middle Ages.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers specific medieval figures like Hildegard of Bingen, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Otto of Freising, analyzing their specific metaphors regarding decay, transformation, and physical reassemblage.
What key terms characterize this research?
The research is characterized by terms such as psychosomatic unity, resurrection, iconography, monastic theology, and the transition from organic to inorganic imagery.
How did medieval thinkers reconcile the soul's joy with the physical body?
They viewed the body as a necessary "partner" to the soul, arguing that it would be unjust for the soul to experience eternal joy if the body, which participated in earthly life, were excluded.
What is the significance of the "Mouth of Hell" in the discussed iconography?
The "Mouth of Hell" serves as a symbol of destruction and digestion; being "vomited up" from this mouth represents the salvation and reassemblage of the body, standing in direct opposition to moral and physical rot.
Why does Bernard of Clairvaux use dark imagery?
Bernard emphasizes decay, rot, and putrefaction to underscore his belief that the transformation of the body is primarily a negative process involving the shedding of earthly corruption.
- Quote paper
- Mate Madunic (Author), 2005, A chapter review of “Psychosomatic Persons and Reclothed Skeletons: Images of Resurrection in Spiritual Writing and Iconography”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/115348
