1. Penitential Discourse and Conflict Management in the Late-Eleventh- and Early-Twelfth-Century Southern Low Countries
- Author
-
Arnoud-Jan A. Bijsterveld and Steven Vanderputten
- Subjects
Linguistics and Language ,History ,Literature and Literary Theory ,Zuidelijke Nederlanden ,Conflictbeheersing ,rituelen ,publiek gedrag ,penitentie ,Godsvrede ,kerkhervorming ,– amicitiae ,sociale mobiliteit ,rituels ,comportement public ,pénitence ,Paix de Dieu ,réformes ecclésiastiques ,amicitiae – mobilité sociale ,Pays-Bas méridionaux ,Gestion des conflits ,Social mobility ,Eleventh ,Language and Linguistics ,Politics ,Political economy ,Situated ,Elite ,Southern Low Countries ,Conflict management ,rituals ,public behaviour ,penitence ,Peace of God ,ecclesiastical reform ,amicitiae ,social mobility ,Social science ,Penitential - Abstract
This paper looks at evidence from ecclesiastical institutions situated in the Southern Low Countries to argue that, during the final decades of the eleventh century, ecclesiastical discourse in conflicts with their enemies of the middle and lower groups of the secular elite shifted from a "culpabilizing" to a "penitential" one. While the effects of this shift are difficult to assess, the authors argue that there are indications that it may have been helpful in at least two respects. On the one hand, it allowed religious institutions to create new amicitiae with individuals and communities who had previously been refused such privileged relations. On the other, the instrumentalization of a penitential discourse in contemporary politics provided opportunities for lay people to demonstrate their ability to participate in the peaceful management of society. This in turn allowed the established ecclesiastical and lay elites to adapt themselves to the rapidly changing political, social, and economic realities of their time.
- Published
- 2012