Signs of Devotion by Virginia Blanton
This is the first longitudinal study of an Anglo-Saxon cult from its inception in the late seventh century through the Reformation. It examines the production and reception of texts that supported the cult of AEthelthryth, an East Anglian princess who had resisted the conjugal demands of two political marriages to maintain her virginity.“Hagiography is no longer the exclusive bailiwick of church-affiliated scholars but draws others from fields such as women’s studies, social history, and the politics of literary productionDisciplinary boundaries between art history, literature, and the history of religion have all been breached in the new studies of saints’ cults. . . . Signs of Devotion is an exemplary demonstration of how fruitful such interdisciplinarity can be.”
—Kathleen Ashley, University of Southern Maine
“By judiciously choosing her materials and detailing their social, religious, and political contexts, Blanton clearly conveys the trajectory of Æthelthryth’s cult and provides insight not just into that cult but into devotional life in medieval England. The book is richly illustrated and includes a useful apparatus of tables, maps, and genealogies as well as an appendix listing evidence of Æthelthryth’s cult, from surviving images and artifacts to references to guilds, fairs, and church dedications.”
—Karen A. Winstead The Historian
“Blanton has produced a thorough, valuable study of interest not only to specialists in medieval English church history but also to scholars interested in the reception of saintly cults in general and of female saints in particular.”
—Joseph F. Kelly Church History
“This rich study makes a compelling case for the importance of understanding an individual saint’s cult as a means of inferring how medieval men and women made sense of their lives and experiences.”
—Katherine Lewis Book Reviews
Virginia Blanton is Associate Professor of English at the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780271058696 |
| ISBN 10 | 0271058692 |
| Title | Signs of Devotion |
| Author | Virginia Blanton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Pennsylvania State University Press |
| Year published | 2013-01-15 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |