Medieval Memories of the Apostolic Past: Reception and Use of the Apocryphal Acts in the Liturgical Commemoration of the Apostles
Medieval composers of liturgical texts for the feast-days of the apostles were greatly inspired by the apocryphal Acts of the apostles as they had been transmitted in the West from the early Middle Ages onwards. A number of prominent medieval authors continued the patristic debate on the reliability...
| Published in: | Apocrypha |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brepols
2008
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| In: |
Apocrypha
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | Medieval composers of liturgical texts for the feast-days of the apostles were greatly inspired by the apocryphal Acts of the apostles as they had been transmitted in the West from the early Middle Ages onwards. A number of prominent medieval authors continued the patristic debate on the reliability, authority and usefulness of the apocrypha, which resulted in a balanced judgment. This is not only visible in the written accounts reflecting the debate on apocrypha, but it is also expressed in the sources of the liturgical commemoration of the apostles, where the apocryphal narratives were keenly incorporated.The use of the apocryphal narrative in a ritual context did not leave these traditions unchanged. The ritual commemoration (anamnesis) of the apostles’ foundation work, their dealing with the demoniac, their preaching, their relation with the local people and their martyrdom is an expression of the topical significance of these stories for the local liturgical community. Moreover, the medieval community that took part in the ritual commemoration of the apostles rephrased its identity in relation to the apostolic patronage to which they appealed. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Apocrypha
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1484/J.APOCR.3.6 |