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Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of...
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Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 19 May 2025 | Viewed by 10021

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Barbara Crostini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University, S-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden
Interests: image and text in Greek manuscripts; Byzantine iconoclasm; theories of visuality; East–West relations; biblical and patristic topics; the interdisciplinary study of Psalms; Dura Europos
Dr. Vlad Bedros

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of History and Theory of Art, National University of Arts, 010773 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: late byzantine art; post-byzantine art: performativity of images; cultural hybridity; liminality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

European identity is deeply embedded in the production of religious art, broadly conceived as any form of material expression of faith. Considering recent research on the senses in the Middle Ages, materiality, and emotions, this Special Issue of Religions turns to an examination of the relation between performative devotions and art by considering the beholder as a faithful subject as well as an ordinary person whose real life situations bring them into contact with a spiritual need. On the one hand, one can consider the ‘museification’ of churches constructed as spaces in which artists’ (and architects’) works contributed to enhancing the encounter of the visitor with the divine. The parallels between such churches and modern art galleries bring out the potential for ‘speaking’ to viewers through art as a means of initiating a spiritual dialogue. On the other hand, medieval images also conveyed the performative devotional experience of the congregation. This aspect may be understood quite literally as memorializing through painting local feasts and special devotions, as well as miraculous events at the fringes of such experiences. The framework for the current exploration is set by the two iconoclasms, the eighth-century Byzantine/Carolingian and the sixteenth-century Reformation. What, in medieval artistic practice, was considered dangerous or objectionable is not merely what was theologically motivated, but also what idea of religion transpired both in using churches as places for artistic mediation to the divine, and in allowing art to witness the devotional performative practices which themselves came under attack as legitimate avenues to the experience of God’s living presence.

Dr. Barbara Crostini
Dr. Vlad Bedros
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • medieval art
  • materiality
  • performance
  • devotion
  • museum studies
  • iconoclasm
  • Byzantium

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6895 KiB  
Article
Interdisciplinary Study of a 15th-Century Byzantine Embroidery Fragment from St Elisabeth’s Cathedral in Košice (Slovakia)
by Eva Hasalová, Andrej Krivda and Alena Piatrová
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1340; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111340 - 1 Nov 2024
Viewed by 561
Abstract
This study investigates a Byzantine embroidery fragment found in the Cathedral of St Elisabeth in Košice, Slovakia, which is believed to come from a 15th-century epitrachelion. Through interdisciplinary research, including art historical analysis, archival studies, and material research, the embroidery was identified as [...] Read more.
This study investigates a Byzantine embroidery fragment found in the Cathedral of St Elisabeth in Košice, Slovakia, which is believed to come from a 15th-century epitrachelion. Through interdisciplinary research, including art historical analysis, archival studies, and material research, the embroidery was identified as a rare example of Byzantine liturgical textile art in Slovakia. The iconography includes Archangel Gabriel and four Eastern Church Fathers. Comparative studies suggest possible origins in Greek or Romanian monastic workshops. Despite the information provided by radiocarbon dating and stylistic comparisons, the embroidery’s precise provenance and historical context invite further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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15 pages, 292 KiB  
Article
Petition, Prostration, and Tears: Painting and Prayer in Roman Catacombs
by Dale Kinney
Religions 2024, 15(7), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15070767 - 24 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1057
Abstract
This article examines the evidence for performative prayer in early Roman catacomb painting from the perspective of an art historian. Praying (orant) figures are a dominant theme of third-century painting. Although the orant pose is generally regarded as symbolic, strong evidence connects at [...] Read more.
This article examines the evidence for performative prayer in early Roman catacomb painting from the perspective of an art historian. Praying (orant) figures are a dominant theme of third-century painting. Although the orant pose is generally regarded as symbolic, strong evidence connects at least one of the figures with the intercessory prayers offered by the order of widows. Following the “Constantinian turn” in the fourth century, a different form of performative prayer prevailed at the tombs of martyrs, with worshippers lying in prostration (proskynesis) pouring out copious tears. Two much-discussed poems by Prudentius (Peristephanon IX and XI) describe this form of prayer in conjunction with paintings of the gruesome martyrdoms of St. Cassian of Imola and St. Hippolytus. Arguments that the paintings inspired the weeping are incompatible with the nature of catacomb painting at the time, and with testimonies to the power of the tomb itself to compel such displays. The more fruitful suggestion that the ekphrasis in Peristephanon XI reflects a painting of the death of the mythical Hippolytus leads to a grove in the Temple of Diana at Nemi and the legend that the hero was resurrected by Aesculapius. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
16 pages, 18072 KiB  
Article
Medieval Holy Sepulchre Chapels: Experience and Memory of Jerusalem
by Cecily Hennessy
Religions 2024, 15(6), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060741 - 18 Jun 2024
Viewed by 922
Abstract
This paper explores the rituals enacted in or connected with two medieval churches, one walrus ivory cross and a central topic of medieval devotion, Christ’s passion. During Easter Week these memorialised the site in Jerusalem dedicated to the burial of Christ, the holiest [...] Read more.
This paper explores the rituals enacted in or connected with two medieval churches, one walrus ivory cross and a central topic of medieval devotion, Christ’s passion. During Easter Week these memorialised the site in Jerusalem dedicated to the burial of Christ, the holiest place in Christendom. It focuses on the physical elements, the spaces, the paintings and sculpture, the ceremonial objects and relics and the performative nature of rituals associated with them. The Regularis Concordia, composed in Winchester at the end of the 10th century for the use of Benedictine monasteries included sung liturgical enactments based on the gospel accounts of Christ’s burial and resurrection. At the same time, in Saxony, the Abbey at Gernrode was founded for the use of women, secular canonesses, with a space in the south aisle that seems to have represented Christ’s place of burial and was later incorporated into two chambers evoking the Holy Sepulchre Chapel in Jerusalem. In the 12th century in Winchester Cathedral, a Holy Sepulchre Chapel was decorated with wall paintings depicting Christ’s death and resurrection. Around this time, the walrus ivory cross known as the Cloisters Cross was created and appears to have been designed for use in the increasingly elaborate liturgical enactments. The paintings at Winchester Cathedral, the sculpture at Gernrode and the Cloisters Cross each evidence the significance of evoking Christ’s passion and how liturgical space and objects served to bring it to life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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30 pages, 10155 KiB  
Article
“The Gates of Eternal Life”: Metamorphosis and Performativity in Middle to Late Byzantine Sculpted Church Doors (with a Case Study of a Wallachian Wooden Door)
by Elisabeta Negrău
Religions 2024, 15(6), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060732 - 15 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1269
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in analyzing the manufacturing techniques of Byzantine church doors in laboratory settings. However, the connection between the iconography and significance of the décor of church doors and their liturgical performativity, as well as their [...] Read more.
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in analyzing the manufacturing techniques of Byzantine church doors in laboratory settings. However, the connection between the iconography and significance of the décor of church doors and their liturgical performativity, as well as their parallels with iconostases in Byzantium, remained a relatively underexplored area of study. This article seeks to delve deeper into these intersections. By focusing on the relationship between the iconography of church doors in Middle to Late Byzantium and their connection to the sacred space and liturgical practices, I aim to shed light on how these artworks played a crucial role in the sacred experience of the Byzantines. This exploration will not highlight only the aesthetic evolution of church door artwork but also emphasize the communal and embodied nature of the religious experience during the Byzantine era. Their intricate designs were not merely decorative elements but served as portals to the divine, enriching the salvation journey of worshippers as they crossed the threshold into the liturgical spaces. By conducting an examination of the development of door iconography and their symbolism throughout the empire’s history, the transformation of narrative depictions from the Middle Byzantine era to the Palaiologan period, culminating in a convergence of symbolic meanings within the sacred space of the church, is delineated. This transformation is further exemplified by a sculpted church door from the Principality of Wallachia. By bridging the gap between art history and religious studies, this article aims to rekindle interest in the profound symbolism and significance of Byzantine church doors and their relation to sacred liturgical space, offering a broader perspective on an important aspect of Byzantine heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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17 pages, 2285 KiB  
Article
My Friend the Cross: Cross-Directed Prayer in Seventh-Century Monastic Communities and New Media Studies
by Daniel An
Religions 2024, 15(6), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15060708 - 7 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 843
Abstract
While scholars have long recognized the central importance of the cross within Syriac-speaking Christian communities in late antique Mesopotamia, the question of how physical crosses functioned as aids for prayer has only recently begun to be explored. The present article addresses this question [...] Read more.
While scholars have long recognized the central importance of the cross within Syriac-speaking Christian communities in late antique Mesopotamia, the question of how physical crosses functioned as aids for prayer has only recently begun to be explored. The present article addresses this question with respect to East Syrian monastic communities in seventh-century Mesopotamia, focusing on the context of the monastic cell. Bringing together accounts of cross-directed prayer in Syriac monastic literature with archaeological evidence for crosses from the region, the article concludes that physical crosses played an important role as mediating devices of divine presence that were both always at hand and the frequent objects of monastics’ sensorial attention. These conclusions are subsequently discussed through the lens of recent research from the field of new media studies toward the goal of understanding how cross-directed prayer may have served to bridge monastic spirituality and sociality in Mesopotamia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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15 pages, 7892 KiB  
Article
The St. Honoré Portal at Amiens Cathedral and Its Reception
by Gili Shalom
Religions 2024, 15(5), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15050536 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1030
Abstract
This article discusses the depictions of healings on the St. Honoré portal at Amiens Cathedral (post-1240) and the visual strategies by which its viewers were invited to participate in the saint’s cult. I contend that the carved figures who gaze or gesture beyond [...] Read more.
This article discusses the depictions of healings on the St. Honoré portal at Amiens Cathedral (post-1240) and the visual strategies by which its viewers were invited to participate in the saint’s cult. I contend that the carved figures who gaze or gesture beyond the borders of the tympanum invited the active participation of a broad audience of spectators: male and female, young and old, rich and poor, clerical and lay, and disabled and hale. Moreover, I argue that by referencing both the saint’s vita and more contemporary miracle accounts, the sculptures negotiated between the historical past and the Gothic present, allowing the viewers to share in the hope for a miraculous cure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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27 pages, 80026 KiB  
Article
Wrathful Rites: Performing Shefokh ḥamatkha in the Hileq and Bileq Haggadah
by Elina Gertsman and Reed O’Mara
Religions 2024, 15(4), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040451 - 2 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1408
Abstract
This essay explores a remarkable manuscript, the so-called Hileq and Bileq Haggadah (Paris, BnF Ms. Hébreu 1333), illuminated in southern Germany in the fifteenth century. Our focus, in particular, is on the image that accompanies the Shefokh ḥamatkha prayer, an invocation of God’s [...] Read more.
This essay explores a remarkable manuscript, the so-called Hileq and Bileq Haggadah (Paris, BnF Ms. Hébreu 1333), illuminated in southern Germany in the fifteenth century. Our focus, in particular, is on the image that accompanies the Shefokh ḥamatkha prayer, an invocation of God’s vengeance upon nonbelievers. Here, we posit the role of the Shefokh ḥamatkha folio within the context of the Hileq and Bileq Haggadah, suggesting that its prominent position and extravagant visual program involve the reader–viewer in a performative scenario that inflects the meaning of the other images in the book as well as the enactment of the Seder ritual itself. The messianic import of the folio is underscored by its enactive language, both visual and oral, and predicated on the emotional communities that coalesced around the Passover ritual in the later Middle Ages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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14 pages, 375 KiB  
Article
Sacred Theatres: Listening to Homilies and Experiencing the Holy Beauty in 9th- and 10th-Century Byzantine Churches
by Cao Gu
Religions 2023, 14(12), 1460; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14121460 - 25 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1326
Abstract
Although John Chrysostom is critical of the theatre, delivering a homily was never a tiresome monologue of the preacher in Byzantium; it was a theatrical performance combining text-reading and multiple ceremonies, during which spaces, lights, and materials were manipulated to create marvellous spectacles [...] Read more.
Although John Chrysostom is critical of the theatre, delivering a homily was never a tiresome monologue of the preacher in Byzantium; it was a theatrical performance combining text-reading and multiple ceremonies, during which spaces, lights, and materials were manipulated to create marvellous spectacles and enslave the audience spiritually and emotionally. At times, orators described the physical features of the venues where they spoke, as did Leo VI the Wise for two newly founded churches and Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus for the second most important church of the Empire, the Holy Apostles. But in most cases, the performance aspect of their speeches could only be known indirectly from two ceremonial handbooks, Kletorologion and De Ceremoniis. It is also necessary to indicate that the spectacles in homilies were not always real and present; they sometimes came to exist in listeners’ minds through picturesque descriptions (ekphraseis) and fictional figures (ethopoiiai) composed by preachers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Devotion Practice and Performative Expression in the Religious Art of Medieval Europe)
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