The Hagiography Society seeks either individual papers or full session proposals for sponsored sessions at the International Medieval Congress 2014 in Leeds (7-10 July). Although all proposals relating to saints and hagiography will be considered, those which respond to the congress theme of ‘Empire’ or to the suggested sessions below are particularly welcomed.
Shifting Practices, Priorities, and Perceptions: The Changing Nature of Medieval Saints’ Cults.
Whether considered from the standpoint of a single cult centre, or a saint with a following spread over a wide geographic area, the practices, motivations, and audiences of saints’ cults often changed over time. Papers in this panel might explore this issue through a variety of lenses: using available documentation of cult practice and promotion, iconographic changes seen in the representation of saints over time, alterations made to shrines and buildings, developments in the hagiographical tradition as witnessed by surviving copies of vitae, or other approaches. Interdisciplinary work is welcomed.
Local Heroes: New Approaches to the Study of Minor Saints and their Cults.
This session is intended to provide an arena for scholars currently working on lesser-known saints and cults for which only fleeting textual, visual and/or material evidence remains. Proposed papers should engage with some of the following questions: What avenues of investigation are open to researchers in this area? How have new methodologies changed the field? How significant were these cults to the communities who venerated them? What factors prevented these saints from achieving wider prominence? And what insights do such micro-studies add to our broader understanding of medieval devotional practices?
Individual papers should be 20 minutes in length while full session proposals must consist of three papers.
Please e-mail abstract proposals of between 250-300 words per paper to H.Birkett@exeter.ac.uk by Friday 13 September.
If regular mail is preferred, hard copies should be sent to:
Dr Helen Birkett
History
Amory Building, Rennes Drive
EX4 4RJ, UK.
Please ensure that postal applications arrive before the deadline.
For more information about the International Medieval Congress see: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/imc2014_call.html