Sincerity in Medieval English Language and Literature

This book traces the development of the ideal of sincerity from its origins in Anglo-Saxon monasteries to its eventual currency in fifteenth-century familiar letters. Beginning by positioning sincerity as an ideology at the intersection of historical pragmatics and the history of emotions, the author demonstrates how changes in the relationship between outward expression and inward emotions changed English language and literature. While the early chapters reveal that the notion of sincerity was a Christian intervention previously absent from Germanic culture, the latter part of the book provides more focused studies of contrition and love. In doing so, the author argues that under the rubric of courtesy these idealized emotions influenced English in terms of its everyday pragmatics and literary style. This fascinating volume will be of broad interest to scholars of medieval language, literature and culture.

Provides the first book-length study of sincerity and its ramifications for the English Middle Ages Brings together social, linguistic, literary and emotional histories to cast new light on medieval thought, texts and communication Offers fresh insights to scholars of historical linguistics, historical pragmatics, medieval literature, linguistic anthropology and the history of emotions Examines how the functions of affective language in the history of English vary according to their cultural-ideological context Demonstrates how Christianization as a process of acculturation relates to the study of language history, especially pragmatics and stylistics

Autorentext
Graham Williams is Senior Lecturer in the History of English at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Inhalt
Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Before sincerity: Pagan beliefs of language and emotion.- Chapter 3: God who knows the heart: The Christianization of language and emotion.- Chapter 4: Sincerity in contrition: From confessions to apologies.- Chapter 5: Sincerity in love: From 'caritas' to 'affectio maritalis'.- Chapter 6: Conclusion.