Natural Philosophy and the Desire for God: Science and the Spirit in Later Medieval Iberia

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Association for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies; North American Catalan Society

Organizer Name

Jessica A. Boon, John A. Bollweg

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Western Michigan Univ.

Presider Name

Jessica A. Boon

Paper Title 1

Nature in the Spanish Book of Alexander: Legitimizing Force and Violated Figure

Presenter 1 Name

Florence Curtis

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Univ. of Oxford

Paper Title 2

Limoux Nègre, Philosopher-Heretic: A New Menocchio

Presenter 2 Name

Louisa A. Burnham

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Middlebury College

Paper Title 3

Mental Illness and Spirituality in the Leal Conselheiro of King Duarte of Portugal (1433-38)

Presenter 3 Name

Alla Babushkina

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Centre for Medieval Studies, Univ. of Toronto

Start Date

11-5-2013 1:30 PM

Session Location

Bernhard 211

Description

The created order - understood variously in the medieval period as the expression of God's love and will, the field of view of natural theology and the independent domain of natural philosophy - has always been a source of inspiration to learned Christians. The relationship between natural philosophy and medieval Christianity manifested itself, among other ways, through both the production and transmission of scientifically-inflected theological works and the piety and reforming impulses of natural philosphers (including physicians, astrologers and alchemists). In recent years, scholars have begun documenting the contributions of theologians to medical discourses and conversely the impact of scientific and medical advances on theological argumentation. For this panel, ASPHS and NACS seek papers on any aspect of the relationship between natural philosophy and the theological ideas or religious activities of Christian scholars in later medieval Iberia (1200 - 1500 CE). Although a few crossover figures such as Arnau de Villanova are well-known, the popularity of encyclopedic handbooks such as Bartholomeus Anglicus' _De proprietatibus rerum_ or the impact of the optically-based sermons of Peter of Limoges are frequently mentioned but rarely probed. We therefore particularly encourage papers exploring lesser-known works and their transmission, translation, and impact.

Jessica A. Boon

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May 11th, 1:30 PM

Natural Philosophy and the Desire for God: Science and the Spirit in Later Medieval Iberia

Bernhard 211

The created order - understood variously in the medieval period as the expression of God's love and will, the field of view of natural theology and the independent domain of natural philosophy - has always been a source of inspiration to learned Christians. The relationship between natural philosophy and medieval Christianity manifested itself, among other ways, through both the production and transmission of scientifically-inflected theological works and the piety and reforming impulses of natural philosphers (including physicians, astrologers and alchemists). In recent years, scholars have begun documenting the contributions of theologians to medical discourses and conversely the impact of scientific and medical advances on theological argumentation. For this panel, ASPHS and NACS seek papers on any aspect of the relationship between natural philosophy and the theological ideas or religious activities of Christian scholars in later medieval Iberia (1200 - 1500 CE). Although a few crossover figures such as Arnau de Villanova are well-known, the popularity of encyclopedic handbooks such as Bartholomeus Anglicus' _De proprietatibus rerum_ or the impact of the optically-based sermons of Peter of Limoges are frequently mentioned but rarely probed. We therefore particularly encourage papers exploring lesser-known works and their transmission, translation, and impact.

Jessica A. Boon