Writing Faith
Text, Sign, and History in the Miracles of Sainte Foy
216 pages
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6 halftones
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6 x 9
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© 1999
A trickster saint whose miracles reportedly included the healing of an inguinal hernia via a hammer and anvil, Sainte Foy inspired one of the most important collections of miracle stories of the central middle ages. Kathleen Ashley and Pamela Sheingorn explore the act of "writing faith" as performed both by the authors of these stories and by the scholars who have used them as sources for the study of medieval religion and society.
As Ashley and Sheingorn show, differing agendas shaped the miracle stories over time. The first author, Bernard of Angers, used his narratives to critique popular religion and to establish his own literary reputation, while the monks who continued the collection tried to enhance their monastery's prestige. Because these stories were rhetorical constructions, Ashley and Sheingorn argue, we cannot use them directly as sources of historical data. Instead, they demonstrate how analyzing representations common to groups of miracle stories—such as negative portrayals of Muslims on the eve of the Crusades—can reveal the traces of history.
As Ashley and Sheingorn show, differing agendas shaped the miracle stories over time. The first author, Bernard of Angers, used his narratives to critique popular religion and to establish his own literary reputation, while the monks who continued the collection tried to enhance their monastery's prestige. Because these stories were rhetorical constructions, Ashley and Sheingorn argue, we cannot use them directly as sources of historical data. Instead, they demonstrate how analyzing representations common to groups of miracle stories—such as negative portrayals of Muslims on the eve of the Crusades—can reveal the traces of history.
"In their sensitive and imaginative analysis of the <MI>Liber miraculorum sanctae Fidis,<D> Kathleen Ashley and Pamela Sheingorn have demonstrated the importance and internal variety of this unusual collection of miracle stories. In the process, they have provided the most thorough critique of the development of a single miracle collection available in modern scholarship. This is an accomplished addition to the growing list of works which explore the social and cultural history of medieval Christian sanctity."--Thomas Head, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York
"<MI>Writing Faith<D> compels us to rethink the nature of historical evidence. Through a subtle analysis of shifting authorial positions and rhetorical strategies, Ashley and Sheingorn destabilize the myth that the <MI>Liber miraculorum sanctae Fidis<D> provides us with a transparent window onto eleventh-century popular culture, while deepening our understanding of the historical agency of written texts."--Sharon Farmer, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Elegantly combining interpretative strategies from a variety of disciplines, the authors of this book give us new ways of looking at collections of miracle stories. . . . [W]hile never losing sight of historical context, Writing Faith admirably succeeds in the difficult task of being truly interdisciplinary. Never lapsing into jargon or obscurity, it is a book that can be read with interest and profit by anyone concerned with medieval culture, literature, or religion."—Historian
“What distinguishes the book from many other works on hagiography is its tight and lucid structure, built upon a clear and novel methodological approach. <I>Writing Faith<I> will no doubt help to shape the methodological approaches of future research, and take its place as a significant volume in modern hagiographical study.”—Kirsten Wolf, <I>Biography
Contents
Preface
Introduction: Reading Hagiography
1. Bernard of Angers and the Trickster Text
2. Bernard of Angers between Two Worlds
3. The Monastic Appropriation of Bernard's Text
4. Late Miracle Narratives
5. The Social Semiotics of the Liber miraculorum
Conclusion: The Cultural Work of Miracle Collections
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Introduction: Reading Hagiography
1. Bernard of Angers and the Trickster Text
2. Bernard of Angers between Two Worlds
3. The Monastic Appropriation of Bernard's Text
4. Late Miracle Narratives
5. The Social Semiotics of the Liber miraculorum
Conclusion: The Cultural Work of Miracle Collections
Notes
Bibliography
Index
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