The Grief of God : Images of the Suffering Jesus in Late Medieval England

Between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries images of a wounded and bloody Christ proliferated in England, appearing in sermons, drama, church decorations, and spiritual treatises. Some scholars see these graphic portrayals of suffering as signs of a new emphasis on Jesus's humanity, while others see renewed emphasis on a terrifying God of vengeance. Ross, however, argues that these explanations have misunderstood the nature of medieval attitudes toward the suffering Christ. Analyzing a wide range of textual and pictorial evidence, she finds that in their encounters with the wounded Jesus--the Savior whose blood nutures, feeds, and heals human persons--medieval believers found the God of mercy and love. ISBN-13: 9780195104516 019510451X 18 Contents 12 Introduction 18 Two Themes: Jesus as Agent of Divine Love and Power of Human Transformation 20 Overview of the Project 24 A Christ-Centered Culture? 28 ONE: The Dynamics of Divine Appeal: The Suffering Jesus in the Literature of Spiritual Guidance 30 Sermons and Spiritual Guidance Literature 30 The Suffering Jesus and the Offer of Divine Mercy 30 The Appeal of the Suffering Jesus 32 Confession and the Individual 37 Jesus as an Advocate for Humans and the Social Dimension of the Believer's Response 43 Imitation of Jesus Christ in the Lives of Individual Believers: Julian of Norwich, Margery Kempe, and Spiritual Anguish 46 The Spirituality of Suffering 46 Three Types of Suffering 49 TWO: The Aesthetics of Suffering: Figuring the Crucified Jesus in Manuscripts and Wall Paintings 56 Psalters, Missals, and Books of Hours 57 The Passion Narrative as Hermeneutical Key to the Reading of Scripture 57 Suffering and Liturgical Time 59 Polysemy of the Crucifixion 60 Responding to the Wounds of Jesus 67 Wall Paintings 68 Church Art as Creating Christological Space 68 Wall Paintings as Christological Narrative Cycles 97 Responding to the Offer of Mercy 102 THREE: Dramas of Divine Compassion: The Figure of the Wounded Jesus and the Rhetoric of Appeal in the Mystery Plays 106 Testimony to the Immensity of Divine Love 107 Varieties of Testimony 107 Identity of Jesus Christ: Human and Divine 117 Divine Compassion: Reconciliation of God's Justice with God's Mercy 120 Models for Describing How Jesus Christ Effects Reconciliation 122 Response to the Immensity of Divine Love 124 The Appeal of the Suffering Savior 124 Sacraments 127 Love of Neighbor and the Cosmos on Stage 130 FOUR: Body, Power, and Mimesis: Holy Women as Purveyors of Divine Presence 134 Women's Bodies as Inscriptions of Divine Love: Margaret of Antioch and Katherine of Alexandria 135 Margaret of Antioch and the Cosmic Stuggle with Evil 137 Katherine of Alexandria and Eruptions of the Divine 143 An Athlete of the Passion of Christ: Elizabeth of Spalbeek 149 Mimesis and the Liturgical Hours 149 Saint as Visage of Christ to the World 154 The Body as Parable of Divine Sorrow: Margery Kempe 156 Margery Kempe and the Medieval Milieu 156 Margery Kempe: Representative of God to Humanity 161 Margery Kempe: Representative of Humanity to God 164 Conclusion 170 Notes 178 Bibliography 208 Index 230 A 230 B 230 C 231 D 232 E 232 F 232 G 232 H 233 I 233 J 233 K 234 L 234 M 235 N 236 O 236 P 236 R 237 S 237 T 238 V 239 W 239 Y 239 Z 239 Illustrations 70 Publisher: Oxford University Press,USA Number Of Pages: 240 Graphic Portrayals Of The Suffering Jesus Christ Pervade Late Medieval English Art, Literature, Drama, And Theology. These Images Have Been Interpreted As Signs Of A New Emphasis On The Humanity Of Jesus. To Others They Indicate A Fascination With A Terrifying God Of Vengeance And A Morbid Obsession With Death. In The Grief Of God, However, Ellen Ross Offers A Different Understanding Of The Purpose Of This Imagery And Its Meaning To The People Of The Time. Analyzing A Wide Range Of Textual And Pictorial Evidence, The Author Finds That The Bleeding Flesh Of The Wounded Savior Manifests Divine Presence; In The Intensified Corporeality Of The Suffering Jesus Whose Flesh Not Only Condemns, But Also Nurtures, Heals, And Feeds, Believers Meet A Trinitarian God Of Mercy. Ross Explores The Rhetoric Of Transformation Common To English Medieval Artistic, Literary, And Devotional Sources. The Extravagant Depictions Of Pain And Anguish, The Author Shows, Constitute An Urgent Appeal To Respond To Jesus' Expression Of Love. She Also Explains How The Inscribing Of Christ's Pain On The Bodies Of Believers At Times Erased The Boundaries Between Human And Divine So That Holy Persons, And In Particular, Holy Women, Participated In The Transformative Power Of Christ. This Interdisciplinary Study Of Sermon Literature, Manuscript Illuminations And Church Wall Paintings, Drama, Hagiographic Narratives, And Spiritual Treatises Illuminates The Religious Sensibilities, Practices, And Beliefs That Constellate Around The Late Medieval Fascination With The Bleeding Body Of The Suffering Jesus Christ. 1. The Dynamics Of Divine Appeal: The Suffering Jesus In The Literature Of Spiritual Guidance. Sermons And Spiritual Guidance Literature. Imitation Of Jesus Christ In The Lives Of Individual Believers: Julian Of Norwich, Margery Kempe, And Spiritual Anguish -- 2. The Aesthetics Of Suffering: Figuring The Crucified Jesus In Manuscripts And Wall Paintings. Psalters, Missals, And Books Of Hours. Wall Paintings -- 3. Dramas Of Divine Compassion: The Figure Of The Wounded Jesus And The Rhetoric Of Appeal In The Mystery Plays. Testimony To The Immensity Of Divine Love. Response To The Immensity Of Divine Love -- 4. Body, Power, And Mimesis: Holy Women As Purveyors Of Divine Presence. Women's Bodies As Inscriptions Of Divine Love: Margaret Of Antioch And Katherine Of Alexandria. An Athlete Of The Passion Of Christ: Elizabeth Of Spalbeek. The Body As Parable Of Divine Sorrow: Margery Kempe. Ellen M. Ross. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 169-190) And Index. Introduction......Page 18 Contents......Page 12 Two Themes: Jesus as Agent of Divine Love and Power of Human Transformation......Page 20 Overview of the Project......Page 24 A Christ-Centered Culture?......Page 28 The Suffering Jesus and the Offer of Divine Mercy......Page 30 The Appeal of the Suffering Jesus......Page 32 Confession and the Individual......Page 37 Jesus as an Advocate for Humans and the Social Dimension of the Believer's Response......Page 43 The Spirituality of Suffering......Page 46 Three Types of Suffering......Page 49 TWO: The Aesthetics of Suffering: Figuring the Crucified Jesus in Manuscripts and Wall Paintings......Page 56 The Passion Narrative as Hermeneutical Key to the Reading of Scripture......Page 57 Suffering and Liturgical Time......Page 59 Polysemy of the Crucifixion......Page 60 Responding to the Wounds of Jesus......Page 67 Church Art as Creating Christological Space......Page 68 Wall Paintings as Christological Narrative Cycles......Page 97 Responding to the Offer of Mercy......Page 102 THREE: Dramas of Divine Compassion: The Figure of the Wounded Jesus and the Rhetoric of Appeal in the Mystery Plays......Page 106 Varieties of Testimony......Page 107 Identity of Jesus Christ: Human and Divine......Page 117 Divine Compassion: Reconciliation of God's Justice with God's Mercy......Page 120 Models for Describing How Jesus Christ Effects Reconciliation......Page 122 The Appeal of the Suffering Savior......Page 124 Sacraments......Page 127 Love of Neighbor and the Cosmos on Stage......Page 130 FOUR: Body, Power, and Mimesis: Holy Women as Purveyors of Divine Presence......Page 134 Women's Bodies as Inscriptions of Divine Love: Margaret of Antioch and Katherine of Alexandria......Page 135 Margaret of Antioch and the Cosmic Stuggle with Evil......Page 137 Katherine of Alexandria and Eruptions of the Divine......Page 143 Mimesis and the Liturgical Hours......Page 149 Saint as Visage of Christ to the World......Page 154 Margery Kempe and the Medieval Milieu......Page 156 Margery Kempe: Representative of God to Humanity......Page 161 Margery Kempe: Representative of Humanity to God......Page 164 Conclusion......Page 170 Notes......Page 178 Bibliography......Page 208 B......Page 230 C......Page 231 G......Page 232 J......Page 233 L......Page 234 M......Page 235 P......Page 236 S......Page 237 T......Page 238 Z......Page 239 Illustrations......Page 70 Graphic portrayals of the suffering Jesus Christ pervade late medieval English art, literature, drama, and theology. These images have been interpreted as signs of a new emphasis on the humanity of Jesus. To others they indicate a fascination with a terrifying God of vengeance and a morbid obsession with death. In The Grief of God , however, Ellen Ross offers a different understanding of the purpose of this imagery and its meaning to the people of the time. Analyzing a wide range of textual and pictorial evidence, the author finds that the bleeding flesh of the wounded Savior manifests divine presence; in the intensified corporeality of the suffering Jesus whose flesh not only condemns, but also nurtures, heals, and feeds, believers meet a trinitarian God of mercy. Ross explores the rhetoric of transformation common to English medieval artistic, literary, and devotional sources. The extravagant depictions of pain and anguish, the author shows, constitute an urgent appeal to respond to Jesus' expression of love. She also explains how the inscribing of Christ's pain on the bodies of believers at times erased the boundaries between human and divine so that holy persons, and in particular, holy women, participated in the transformative power of Christ. In analyzing the dialects of mercy and justice; the construction of sacred space and time; sacraments and ritual celebration, social action, and divine judgment; and the dynamics of women's public religious authority, this study of religion and culture explores the meaning of the late medieval Christian affirmation that God bled and wept and suffered on the cross to draw persons to Godself. This interdisciplinary study of sermon literature, manuscript illuminations and church wall paintings, drama, hagiographic narratives, and spiritual treaties illuminates the religious sensibilities, practices, and beliefs that constellate around the late medieval fascination with the bleeding body of the suffering Jesus Christ. Between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries images of a wounded and bloody Christ proliferated in England, appearing in sermons, drama, church decorations, and spiritual treatises. Some scholars see these graphic portrayals of suffering as signs of a new emphasis on Jesus's humanity, while others see renewed emphasis on a terrifying God of vengeance. Ross, however, argues that these explanations have misunderstood the nature of medieval attitudes toward the suffering Christ. Analysing a wide range of textual and pictorial evidence, she finds that in their encounters with the wounded Jesus - the Saviour whose blood nurtures, feeds, and heals human persons - medieval believers found the God of mercy and love "This interdisciplinary study of sermon literature, manuscript illuminations and church wall paintings, drama, hagiographic narratives, and spiritual treatises illuminates the religious sensibilities, practices, and beliefs that constellate around the late medieval fascination with the bleeding body of the suffering Jesus Christ."--Résumé de l'éditeur Between the 13th and 15th centuries images of a wounded and bloody Christ proliferated in England. This work finds that in their encounters with the wounded Jesus - the Saviour whose blood nurtures, feeds, and heals human persons - medieval believers found a God of mercy and love