Two Medieval Saints’ Lives and the Judgement of Paris

But before this man came on stage, the end of the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth centuries were a time of awakening in Europe. The so-called Dark Ages had become the Middle Ages, and the next hundred years would see the beginning of the Renaissance, the rebirth of culture and the real beginning of the modern era. This paper examines the life and after life of Francis of Assisi, reared in an atmosphere of luxury, parties and polite society. Destines by his father to raise the family status by becoming a knight but determined to be a blessing to humanity. The specific objectives are to explore his life, education, missions and contributions to the body of Christ as a medieval saint.

The Old English Saint Christopher has, like much anonymous vernacular hagiography, gone under-studied. This is partly because its manuscript context results in it being mentioned dismissively alongside more famous texts, and partly because no source has been identified or published. Based on a survey of the fifteen extant pre-thirteenth-century versions across about fifty of their manuscript forms, it is possible to show numerous and significant additions and alterations unique to this vernacular retelling. These changes ameliorate Christopher’s extreme passivity with some active attributes, make the king he opposes more deranged and cruel, and in particular tighten and clarify the story. The Old English Christopher is no masterpiece, but it is a skilful and creative reimagining of a very widespread text, developed by an authorial translator to meet the interests and needs of an Anglo-Saxon audience.

Proceedings of the 2022 3rd International Conference on Mental Health, Education and Human Development (MHEHD 2022)

Medieval Europe is a period full of mysteries. Many elements in Europe changed during that specific period, like the cities, the farms, the different rules in the government, and the limitations of kings as Christians, etc. What attracts me most is the saints in the Medieval Europe, they were the people who enabled people to pay attention to Christianity, their spirits were sacred and pure, they were brave and loyal to the God. This paper will talk about saint in medieval Europe by taking Francis as an example

2018

St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, presents an interesting subject for history and biography. Born to a successful merchant family, he led a splendid social life, engaged in military activities, and later received a spiritual vision that committed him to Christianity in a radical way. After St. Francis’s death, his legacy was the subject of intense contemplation for decades, producing numerous accounts of his ministry and life. However, while all versions of the St. Francis’s Vita strive to offer authentic hagiography, there nonetheless exist discrepancies among the different versions. By comparing the First and Second Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano and the Major and Minor Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure, we can trace the growth of the Franciscan and its changing understanding of poverty from absolute poverty to poverty as an internal virtue. We can also sense a shift in emphasis in St. Francis’s identity from a saintly human to a high-profile mystic and ascetic.

Cahiers Spicae, 2012

e vita of Saint Francis contained in the Speculum historiale of Vincent of Beauvais is a compilation of the Vita Sancti Francisci of Julian of Speyer, and is not often consulted in Franciscan studies. Yet the editor's revision of the Speculum reveals that even a digest of the saint's life posed a challenge to an increasingly Dominican agenda, and had to be adjusted. is paper explores the portrayal of Francis in the Speculum historiale alongside with the ps-Vincentian Speculum morale, composed by a Franciscan but revealing a similar manipulation of the saint's vita. I argue that both specula are threatened by the visionary and charismatic nature of the saint-the Historiale by the shadow he cast over Dominic and the Morale by the potentially dangerous zeal his example could inspire-and both construct a Francis that is an acceptable compromise fitting their particular needs. e analysis of the construction of the persona of Francis in the two works associated with Vincent of Beauvais provides further evidence for the fluid perception and pragmatic use of Francis in the second half of the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, and new understanding of the context surrounding the appearance of the Speculum morale. Résumé : La vita de saint François contenue dans le Speculum historiale de Vincent de Beauvais est une compilation de la Vita Sancti Francisci de Julien de Spire. Elle n'est pas souvent consultée dans les études franciscaines. Pourtant, la révision qu'en fait l'éditeur du Speculum maius révèle que même un résumé de la vie du saint constitue un défi pour une oeuvre de plus en plus dominicaine, raison pour laquelle elle a dû être ajustée. Cet article explore la représentation de François dans le Speculum historiale de Vincent de Beauvais, en regard de celle que livre le Speculum morale pseudépigraphe, composé par un franciscain, mais révélant une manipulation similaire de la vita du saint. Je soutiens que les deux specula sont menacés par le caractère visionnaire et charismatique du saint-l'Historiale par l'ombre qu'il jette sur Dominique comme fondateur de l'Ordre, et le Morale par le zèle potentiellement dangereux que son exemple pourrait inspirer-et visent dès lors à construire un François qui soit un compromis acceptable qui réponde à leurs besoins particuliers. L'analyse de la construction de la personne de François dans les deux oeuvres associées à Vincent de Beauvais est une preuve supplémentaire de la perception fluctuante et de l'utilisation pragmatique de François dans la seconde moitié du XIII e et au début du XIV e siècle, et offre une nouvelle compréhension du contexte entourant la composition du Speculum morale.

2024

“Medieval Saints and Their Sins” by Luke Daly explores the intricate history of sainthood in medieval Europe, examining how saints were both revered figures of piety and tools of political manipulation. The book is divided into three parts: “New Beginnings,” “The Golden Age,” and “The Fall,” charting the evolution of sainthood from its early Christian roots through its height in medieval Europe to its decline with the onset of the Reformation and the rise of secular power. Daly investigates the socio-political contexts that shaped the lives of various saints, highlighting how their stories reflect broader historical events, cultural shifts, and theological debates of the time. The book offers a critical view of how the church utilized the cult of saints to maintain control, bolster its authority, and navigate conflicts, such as heresies, the Crusades, and the Reformation. By focusing on key figures like Augustine, Jerome, and various saints who were central to the religious and political dynamics of their era, Daly demonstrates how sainthood was far from a static institution. Instead, it was a dynamic and evolving aspect of medieval society, constantly reshaped by external pressures, including changing power structures, the rise of intellectual movements, and societal crises.