Speech, Performance, and Authority in Later Medieval Religious Literature I

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Special Session

Organizer Name

Jenny C. Bledsoe

Organizer Affiliation

Emory Univ.

Presider Name

Barbara Zimbalist

Presider Affiliation

Univ. of Texas-El Paso

Paper Title 1

Who's Talking Now? Dialogues in the Works of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe

Presenter 1 Name

Therese Novotny

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Marquette Univ.

Paper Title 2

Figuring Out the Son's Dede: Julian of Norwich and the Theology of Pun

Presenter 2 Name

James Howard

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Emory Univ.

Start Date

8-5-2014 3:30 PM

Session Location

Schneider 1345

Description

One of two session on the theme, this session will explore the use of speech, voice, and dialogue in later medieval religious literature, including texts produced during the high and late Middle Ages. The session will engage with current scholarly discourse from a number of disciplinary angles, including studies of the performativity and rhetoric of medieval religious texts as well as the study of the history of dialogue. In particular, Speech, Performance and Authority in Later Medieval Religious Literature I centers on women’s spirituality and oral/aural engagement with God, and also works to connect close textual analysis with studies of rhetoric and arguments about the usage of literary devices for theological purposes.

Jenny C. Bledsoe, session organizer