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Margery Kempe and the Late-Medieval Image Debates in England: The Curious Case of the Non-Animating Crucifix.
- Source :
-
Journal of Medieval History . Jul2024, Vol. 50 Issue 3, p333-352. 20p. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- This article examines the devotional practices presented by The Book of Margery Kempe in connection to late-medieval English image debates. While scholarly consensus holds that Kempe displays an uncritical approach to the popular devotional practices of her time and a strong attachment to effigies, I argue that she espoused a much more nuanced view, deeply influenced by the anxieties raised in the clash between the Church and the iconoclastic Lollards. This article offers a case study of Kempe's approach by analysing a scene in which her desire to experience a miracle of image animation is denied. This is a highly unusual outcome within The Book's literary genre, which can be explained as an active engagement with the issues raised in the image debates. I conclude that the scene should be read as offering guidance on the idolatrous potential of devotional images and how to properly engage with such artefacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *CROSSES
*LITERARY form
*ANXIETY
*SPIRITUALITY
*MIRACLES
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 03044181
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Medieval History
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 178024881
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/03044181.2024.2353137