Medicine and the Seven Deadly Sins in Late Medieval Literature and Culture (The New Middle Ages)

This book considers how scientists, theologians, priests, and poets approached the relationship of the human body and ethics in the later Middle Ages. Is medicine merely a metaphor for sin? Or can certain kinds of bodies physiologically dispose people to be angry, sad, or greedy? If so, then is it their fault? Virginia Langum offers an account of the medical imagery used to describe feelings and actions in religious and literary contexts, referencing a variety of behavioral discussions within medical contexts. The study draws upon medical and theological writing for its philosophical basis, and upon more popular works of religion, as well as poetry, to show how these themes were articulated, explored, and questioned more widely in medieval culture. Acknowledgments 6 Contents 8 Chapter 1: Introduction 10 Concepts and Terms 13 Medieval 14 Medicine 17 The Seven Deadly Sins 21 Literature and Culture 23 Outline 25 Notes 26 Chapter 2: Medicine, Sin, and Language 37 Medicine as Metaphor 38 Medicine as Metonymy 52 Medicine as Material 59 Metaphor as Medicine 67 Notes 75 Chapter 3: Pride 90 Metaphorical Pride 91 Metonymic Pride 94 Material Pride 95 Notes 103 Chapter 4: Envy 111 Metaphorical Envy 112 Metonymic Envy 115 Material Envy 117 Notes 120 Chapter 5: Wrath 125 Metaphorical Wrath 126 Metonymic Wrath 128 Material Wrath 130 Notes 134 Chapter 6: Avarice 138 Metaphorical Avarice 139 Metonymic Avarice 142 Material Avarice 143 Notes 147 Chapter 7: Sloth 150 Metaphorical Sloth 151 Metonymic Sloth 152 Material Sloth 154 Notes 159 Chapter 8: Gluttony 163 Metaphorical Gluttony 166 Metonymic Gluttony 167 Material Gluttony 169 Notes 176 Chapter 9: Lechery 181 Metaphorical Lechery 182 Metonymic Lechery 183 Material Lechery 184 Notes 191 Chapter 10: Conclusion 196 Notes 200 Bibliography 203 Index 228 Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction....Pages 1-27 Medicine, Sin, and Language....Pages 29-81 Pride....Pages 83-103 Envy....Pages 105-118 Wrath....Pages 119-131 Avarice....Pages 133-144 Sloth....Pages 145-157 Gluttony....Pages 159-176 Lechery....Pages 177-191 Conclusion....Pages 193-199 Back Matter....Pages 201-236