Moral Treatment of Returning Warriors in the Early Middle Ages
This article investigates the origin and nature of the early medieval Christian practice of imposing penances upon returning warriors. It attempts to show that, contrary to previous assumptions, this penitential practice cannot be understood simply and solely in terms of the sense of guilt resulting...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
1988
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| In: |
Journal of religious ethics
Year: 1988, Volume: 16, Issue: 2, Pages: 223-249 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This article investigates the origin and nature of the early medieval Christian practice of imposing penances upon returning warriors. It attempts to show that, contrary to previous assumptions, this penitential practice cannot be understood simply and solely in terms of the sense of guilt resulting from the supposed sinfulness of killing in battle. By linking its use in Christian circles with similar practices elsewhere, the article shows that other factors, like the primitive horror sanguinis, a concern for cultic purity, the Augustinian notion of concupiscence, and especially a sense of shame arising out of the ascetical idealism of the early Middle Ages, must also be taken into account. By thus highlighting the moral complexity of the early medieval treatment of returning warriors, the article tries also to bring into sharper focus the contrast of the latter to the modern therapeutic treatment of soldiers coming home from battle. |
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| ISSN: | 1467-9795 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
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