Abstract
This paper focuses on what is probably the best known polemic regarding relic veneration of the earlier Middle Ages: the disagreement between church father Jerome and Vigilantius of Calagurris, a priest who was active in the region of Toulouse around 400. Vigilantius had apparently questioned the value of several contemporary practices, increasingly popular among Christians, such as withdrawal from a secular career to lead the life of a monk and relic piety. This paper compares Vigilantius’ viewpoints with those of two protagonists of relic cults, contemporaries of Vigilantius and once his friends: Paulinus of Nola and Victricius of Rouen. It discusses the words and metaphors used by Vigilantius, Victricius of Rouen and Paulinus of Nola to describe relics and their power. Secondly it analyses what ideas and assumptions form the basis of the arguments against or in favour of relic veneration. Why were relics so meaningful to Paulinus and Victricius? How did they explain their wondrous power? Why were relics nothing more than ‘dust’ (pulvis) to Vigilantius? In what way did the materiality of the relics influence their beliefs?
| Original language | English |
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| Number of pages | 15 |
| Publication status | Unpublished - 2015 |
| Event | Workshop religion and material culture - Utrecht, Netherlands Duration: 30 Jan 2015 → … |
Conference
| Conference | Workshop religion and material culture |
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| Country/Territory | Netherlands |
| City | Utrecht |
| Period | 30/01/15 → … |
Keywords
- Christian material culture