The Transmission and Appropriation of the "Vita" of Christina Mirabilis in Carthusian Communities

This contribution evaluates the transmission and appropriation of the vita of the ‘independent’ holy woman Christina Mirabilis from the diocese of Liège by Carthusians in England. Hers and other vitae were witness to the new Christ-centred spirituality and were mainly transmitted and adapted by memb...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Church history and religious culture
Main Author: Folkerts, Suzan 1976- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2016
In: Church history and religious culture
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Christina Mirabilis 1150-1224 / Saint's life / England / Carthusians
RelBib Classification:KAE Church history 900-1300; high Middle Ages
KAF Church history 1300-1500; late Middle Ages
KBF British Isles
KCA Monasticism; religious orders
KCD Hagiography; saints
Further subjects:B Christina Mirabilis mulieres religiosae Carthusians Saints
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Description
Summary:This contribution evaluates the transmission and appropriation of the vita of the ‘independent’ holy woman Christina Mirabilis from the diocese of Liège by Carthusians in England. Hers and other vitae were witness to the new Christ-centred spirituality and were mainly transmitted and adapted by members of continental reform-minded religious orders. New findings concerning the English manuscripts with the vita of Christina show that in England, Carthusians were the leading agents in the process of transmission of this hagiography. Taken together, these findings raise questions about 1) the models these vitae provided for Carthusians, 2) the interaction between Carthusians and other religious orders regarding text exchange, and 3) their interaction with laypeople and readers of vernacular translations. Why did English Carthusians transmit and appropriate the vitae of relatively unknown Liège saints? The answer lies in the spiritual models these vitae provided, stressing the importance of asceticism and a virtuous inner life.
ISSN:1871-2428
Contains:In: Church history and religious culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/18712428-09601005