Religion and Emotion in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, c.1100–1800
The University of Adelaide
23 November, 2018
Keynote: Professor Thomas A. Fudge (University of New England)
In the medieval and early modern world, religious belief and practices were expressed with passionate commitment out of an emotional attachment to the divine. Institutional religion cultivated and prescribed certain emotions and emotional styles, through media such as literature, sermons, rituals and art. At the same time, the individual’s own relationship with both God and the Church was underpinned by emotion, in ways that could either, in the words of John Corrigan, ‘confirm or challenge the authority of [this] religious emotionology’. This one-day symposium seeks to explore the emotional dimensions of both institutional and individual religious belief, experience and practice, as well as the relationships between them. It aims to bring together scholars already working on emotions, and those interested in exploring how a focus on emotion may enhance their research on medieval and early modern religion, broadly conceived.
We invite proposals for 20-minute papers from any discipline dealing with religion and emotion within a European context between 1100 and 1800. We particularly encourage proposals from postgraduates and ECRs. Papers may wish to explore, but are not limited to:
- Rituals, practices and performance
- The language of religious emotions
- How religious imagery, objects and music conveyed or embodied emotional messages
- Comparisons between different institutions or denominations
- Links between religion, emotion and morality
- The emotional dynamics of religious vocations and communities
- The emotional dynamics of lay religion
- The role of gender
Abstracts of no more than 250 words, and a short biography, should be emailed to both Stephanie Thomson (stephanie.thomson@adelaide.edu.au) and Jessica McCandless (jessica.mccandless@adelaide.edu.au). Questions or queries can also be addressed to the above.
Deadline for proposals: 31 July 2018
Notification of acceptance: 15 August 2018
Registration deadline: 2 November 2018
Opening public lecture: 22 November 2018
Symposium and dinner (dinner at own expense): 23 November 2018
