The Dominican friars in northern France produced an extensive programme of theological writing, n... more The Dominican friars in northern France produced an extensive programme of theological writing, notable both for its erudition, and its all-encompassing treatment of varied theological topics. Despite an abundance of Byzantine patristic material discussing the veneration of images, Thomas Aquinas produced a very slight discourse on imagery in his Summa Theologiæ. This thesis argues that the traditionalist nature of Dominican scholarship made the friars reluctant to afford religious imagery a greater space than the Latin Church Fathers had allowed. However, Dominican preaching and devotional writing discussed imagery at much greater length. The Nine Ways of Prayer describe St. Dominic’s habit of prayer before images of Christ crucified, and the Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine shows several miracles involving images. In writings for novices and laity, the friars discussed imagery at far greater length. This thesis aims to trace categorisations of sacred objects in Dominican writing, seeing how the image was treated differently from relics, the idols of ‘pagans’, and the consecrated Eucharist. This methodology combines historiographies of popular piety and spirituality. Such a method allows the historian to see how scholastic methods of categorisation seeped into popular piety. The thesis argues that because images depicted human emotion, religious imagery, especially crucifixes that showed Christ dying, they were useful to promoting Dominican piety. This interior piety which focussed on interior penitence and the emotional focus on Christ’s Crucifixion was a trend promoted by the friars, and was a fundamental departure from the more practical nature of lay piety. Relics and the Eucharist could be ‘spiritualised’, evoking personal devotion as well as working marvellous wonders. Images were physical matter, concrete objects which reminded the devotee that Christ had taken human form. This materiality marked the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy after the Fourth Lateran Council against various dualist heresies. In this manner, the image was vital both to Dominican piety, and to the Order’s doctrinal mission.
This research report analyses the eclectic yet incomplete
archives of the Christchurch Psychical ... more This research report analyses the eclectic yet incomplete archives of the Christchurch Psychical Research Society held at Canterbury Museum and the Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury. The Society, active in the early decades of the twentieth century, was part of a wider international spiritualist movement situated on the border of science and religion. This report presents a critical reading of the Society’s scrapbook evidence collated by its leader, Edgar Lovell-Smith, between the 1920s and 1940s. Through these ephemeral fragments and in particular the ritual of the séance, the authors attempt to better understand what can be learnt about psychical research in Christchurch, a historical hub for reformist and alternative spiritualist movements, in the interwar period. The research methodology combined family history with a critical and descriptive reading of archive documents on a topic – Spiritualism – frequently overlooked by mainstream academic historians. Drawing from key secondary alternative religious literature we sought to uncover how investigations into the paranormal by the Society were simultaneously embraced and questioned by its members.
The Dominican friars in northern France produced an extensive programme of theological writing, n... more The Dominican friars in northern France produced an extensive programme of theological writing, notable both for its erudition, and its all-encompassing treatment of varied theological topics. Despite an abundance of Byzantine patristic material discussing the veneration of images, Thomas Aquinas produced a very slight discourse on imagery in his Summa Theologiæ. This thesis argues that the traditionalist nature of Dominican scholarship made the friars reluctant to afford religious imagery a greater space than the Latin Church Fathers had allowed. However, Dominican preaching and devotional writing discussed imagery at much greater length. The Nine Ways of Prayer describe St. Dominic’s habit of prayer before images of Christ crucified, and the Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine shows several miracles involving images. In writings for novices and laity, the friars discussed imagery at far greater length. This thesis aims to trace categorisations of sacred objects in Dominican writing, seeing how the image was treated differently from relics, the idols of ‘pagans’, and the consecrated Eucharist. This methodology combines historiographies of popular piety and spirituality. Such a method allows the historian to see how scholastic methods of categorisation seeped into popular piety. The thesis argues that because images depicted human emotion, religious imagery, especially crucifixes that showed Christ dying, they were useful to promoting Dominican piety. This interior piety which focussed on interior penitence and the emotional focus on Christ’s Crucifixion was a trend promoted by the friars, and was a fundamental departure from the more practical nature of lay piety. Relics and the Eucharist could be ‘spiritualised’, evoking personal devotion as well as working marvellous wonders. Images were physical matter, concrete objects which reminded the devotee that Christ had taken human form. This materiality marked the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy after the Fourth Lateran Council against various dualist heresies. In this manner, the image was vital both to Dominican piety, and to the Order’s doctrinal mission.
This research report analyses the eclectic yet incomplete
archives of the Christchurch Psychical ... more This research report analyses the eclectic yet incomplete archives of the Christchurch Psychical Research Society held at Canterbury Museum and the Macmillan Brown Library, University of Canterbury. The Society, active in the early decades of the twentieth century, was part of a wider international spiritualist movement situated on the border of science and religion. This report presents a critical reading of the Society’s scrapbook evidence collated by its leader, Edgar Lovell-Smith, between the 1920s and 1940s. Through these ephemeral fragments and in particular the ritual of the séance, the authors attempt to better understand what can be learnt about psychical research in Christchurch, a historical hub for reformist and alternative spiritualist movements, in the interwar period. The research methodology combined family history with a critical and descriptive reading of archive documents on a topic – Spiritualism – frequently overlooked by mainstream academic historians. Drawing from key secondary alternative religious literature we sought to uncover how investigations into the paranormal by the Society were simultaneously embraced and questioned by its members.
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Papers by Julian Vesty
This thesis aims to trace categorisations of sacred objects in Dominican writing, seeing how the image was treated differently from relics, the idols of ‘pagans’, and the consecrated Eucharist. This methodology combines historiographies of popular piety and spirituality. Such a method allows the historian to see how scholastic methods of categorisation seeped into popular piety. The thesis argues that because images depicted human emotion, religious imagery, especially crucifixes that showed Christ dying, they were useful to promoting Dominican piety. This interior piety which focussed on interior penitence and the emotional focus on Christ’s Crucifixion was a trend promoted by the friars, and was a fundamental departure from the more practical nature of lay piety. Relics and the Eucharist could be ‘spiritualised’, evoking personal devotion as well as working marvellous wonders. Images were physical matter, concrete objects which reminded the devotee that Christ had taken human form. This materiality marked the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy after the Fourth Lateran Council against various dualist heresies. In this manner, the image was vital both to Dominican piety, and to the Order’s doctrinal mission.
archives of the Christchurch Psychical Research Society
held at Canterbury Museum and the Macmillan Brown
Library, University of Canterbury. The Society, active in
the early decades of the twentieth century, was part of
a wider international spiritualist movement situated on
the border of science and religion. This report presents
a critical reading of the Society’s scrapbook evidence
collated by its leader, Edgar Lovell-Smith, between the
1920s and 1940s. Through these ephemeral fragments
and in particular the ritual of the séance, the authors
attempt to better understand what can be learnt about
psychical research in Christchurch, a historical hub for
reformist and alternative spiritualist movements, in the
interwar period. The research methodology combined
family history with a critical and descriptive reading of
archive documents on a topic – Spiritualism – frequently
overlooked by mainstream academic historians.
Drawing from key secondary alternative religious
literature we sought to uncover how investigations into
the paranormal by the Society were simultaneously
embraced and questioned by its members.
This thesis aims to trace categorisations of sacred objects in Dominican writing, seeing how the image was treated differently from relics, the idols of ‘pagans’, and the consecrated Eucharist. This methodology combines historiographies of popular piety and spirituality. Such a method allows the historian to see how scholastic methods of categorisation seeped into popular piety. The thesis argues that because images depicted human emotion, religious imagery, especially crucifixes that showed Christ dying, they were useful to promoting Dominican piety. This interior piety which focussed on interior penitence and the emotional focus on Christ’s Crucifixion was a trend promoted by the friars, and was a fundamental departure from the more practical nature of lay piety. Relics and the Eucharist could be ‘spiritualised’, evoking personal devotion as well as working marvellous wonders. Images were physical matter, concrete objects which reminded the devotee that Christ had taken human form. This materiality marked the boundaries of Christian orthodoxy after the Fourth Lateran Council against various dualist heresies. In this manner, the image was vital both to Dominican piety, and to the Order’s doctrinal mission.
archives of the Christchurch Psychical Research Society
held at Canterbury Museum and the Macmillan Brown
Library, University of Canterbury. The Society, active in
the early decades of the twentieth century, was part of
a wider international spiritualist movement situated on
the border of science and religion. This report presents
a critical reading of the Society’s scrapbook evidence
collated by its leader, Edgar Lovell-Smith, between the
1920s and 1940s. Through these ephemeral fragments
and in particular the ritual of the séance, the authors
attempt to better understand what can be learnt about
psychical research in Christchurch, a historical hub for
reformist and alternative spiritualist movements, in the
interwar period. The research methodology combined
family history with a critical and descriptive reading of
archive documents on a topic – Spiritualism – frequently
overlooked by mainstream academic historians.
Drawing from key secondary alternative religious
literature we sought to uncover how investigations into
the paranormal by the Society were simultaneously
embraced and questioned by its members.