The Resurrection of the Body in Western Christendom – Caroline Walker Bynum – 1987
What the Book Explores
Caroline Walker Bynum’s The Resurrection of the Body in Western Christendom examines evolving beliefs surrounding the resurrection of the body from the early Church Fathers through the late Middle Ages. Bynum moves beyond theological doctrine to investigate how ordinary people – particularly women – understood and related to the promise of bodily resurrection. The work centers on the concept of the *corpus resurrectionis*, the body that would rise at the Last Judgement, and how conceptions of this body shifted over time, impacted by societal anxieties and evolving understandings of the self and the material world. She analyzes the interplay between theological formulations, popular piety, and artistic representations of the resurrected body.
Historical / Cultural Context
Published in 1987, Bynum’s work emerged from a broader shift in historical scholarship towards a greater focus on cultural history, the history of mentalities, and gender studies. Prior to this, much scholarship on medieval theology centered on elite intellectual debates. Bynum’s work was groundbreaking in its attention to the lived religion of ordinary people and in its use of a wide range of sources—hagiographies, visual art, theological treatises, and liturgical texts—to reconstruct popular beliefs. It directly addressed gaps in the understanding of medieval views on physicality and the body, which had often been framed by modern anxieties about materialism. The book coincided with a growing scholarly interest in understanding the psychological dimensions of religious belief and the role of the body in religious experience. The late 20th century saw a rising scholarly interest in examining the intersection of gender, religion, and medieval culture, to which this book made a significant contribution.
Who This Book Is For
This book is primarily geared towards those with an academic interest in medieval history, religious studies, and cultural history. While it is a scholarly work, Bynum’s writing is accessible to informed general readers interested in the history of ideas and the development of religious belief. Those interested in the history of women, gender studies, and the history of the body will also find this work particularly relevant. It requires some familiarity with medieval theological concepts, but the author provides sufficient context for understanding the core arguments.
Further Reading
- Georges Duby, The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined (1978): Provides context on medieval social structures and mentalities.
- Peter Brown, The Body and Society: Men, Women, and Sexual Renunciation in Early Christianity (1988): Offers a comparative study of early Christian attitudes toward the body.
- E.M. Gill, Gender and the Vote in Victorian England (2007): Explores the intersection of gender and religious thought in a different historical context, showcasing similar methodologies.
Disclaimer.
Oraclepedia is an independent educational and cultural project. The material presented explores myths, belief systems, symbolic traditions, and aspects of human perception from historical, cultural, and psychological perspectives.
Content is provided for informational and reflective purposes only and does not promote specific beliefs, spiritual practices, or ideological positions. Interpretations presented reflect scholarly, cultural, or symbolic analysis rather than factual claims about the natural world.