Perceptions of Ecclesia

Horie, Ruth

ISBN 10: 2503520596 / ISBN 13: 9782503520599

Published by Brepols Publishers, 2006

About this Item

Church and Soul in Medieval Dedication Sermons. This volume examines the contents of sermons to elucidate the meaning of the 'church' to medieval preachers, and through them the laity. The physical church building held an important place in medieval society as a tangible connecting link between ordinary people on the one hand and saints, angels and the divine presence on the other. Yet perhaps more significantly, it stood as a symbol for the human soul. Preachers treat the dedication of the physical church as an elaborate metaphor for the spiritual consecration of the soul. XIV,247 Seiten, gebunden (Sermo: Studies on Patristic, Medieval, and Reformation Sermons and Preaching; Vol. 2/Brepols 2006). Statt EUR 48,00. Gewicht: 618 g - Gebunden/Gebundene Ausgabe.

Seller Inventory # 95620

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Perceptions of Ecclesia
• Publisher: Brepols Publishers
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 2503520596
• ISBN 13: 9782503520599
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Neu
• Weight: 618 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Kirchengeschichte des Mittelalters

About this title

Synopsis

The medieval laity's understanding of the church and their own role within it was largely shaped by preaching. How did preachers actually define the word 'church', and what was the essence of their ecclesiological teachings? Sermons for the dedication of a church reveal that the term ecclesia had numerous connotations. Three key ideas recur with particular frequency: the material church, the Christian community, and the church of the soul. The physical church building held an important place in medieval society as a tangible connecting link between ordinary people on the one hand and saints, angels and the divine presence on the other. Yet perhaps more significantly, it stood as a symbol for the human soul. Preachers treat the dedication of the physical church as an elaborate metaphor for the spiritual consecration of the soul. The prominent interest in the concept of the soul as church, which is reflected in sermons, suggests a much more individual, less community-oriented focus in medieval spirituality than has been generally assumed.