Meditations on the Life of Christ: The Short Italian Text

by Sarah McNamer

Overview

The Meditations on the Life of Christ was the most popular and influential devotional work of the later Middle Ages. With its lively dialogue and narrative realism, its poignant and moving depictions of the Nativity and Passion, and its direct appeals to the reader to feel love and compassion, the Meditations had a major impact on devotional practices, religious art, meditative literature, vernacular drama, and the cultivation of affective experience.

This volume is a critical edition, with English translation and commentary, of a hitherto-unpublished Italian text that McNamer argues is likely to be the original version of this influential masterpiece. Livelier and far more compact than the Latin text, the Italian “short text” possesses a stylistic and textual integrity that appears to testify to its primacy among early versions of the Meditations. The evidence also suggests that it was composed by a woman, a Poor Clare from Pisa—an author whose work McNamer contends was obscured by the anonymous Franciscan friar who subsequently altered and expanded the text. In bringing to light this unique Italian version and building a case for its origins and importance, this book will encourage a fresh look at the Meditations and serve as a foundation for further scholarship and debate concerning some of the most compelling subjects in Italian and European literary and cultural history, including the role of women in the invention of new genres and spiritual practices, the early development of Italian prose narrative, the rise of vernacular theology, and the history of emotion.

McNamer’s volume will be of significant interest to medievalists, especially those who study medieval women, devotional literature, manuscript studies, and textual criticism. The linguistic analysis expands that audience to include those of a philological bent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780268102852
Publisher:	University of Notre Dame Press
Publication date:	02/15/2018
Series:	William and Katherine Devers Series in Dante and Medieval Italian Literature
Edition description:	1
Pages:	444
Sales rank:	970,429
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Sarah McNamer is professor of English and medieval studies at Georgetown University. She is the author of Affective Meditation and the Invention of Medieval Compassion (2010).

Read an Excerpt

Among the other great virtues one reads about concerning the virgin Saint Cecilia is this: that she always carried the gospel of Christ Jesus hidden in her breast. And you should consider this to mean that she had written out for herself some of the most moving passages from the life of Lord Jesus Christ, and she meditated on these day and night with all her heart and with all her intention and fervor. And once she had finished these meditations, she started again from the beginning, dwelling on them again and savoring their sweetness. And she took them into her heart, keeping and treasuring them carefully there so that they would not let any vain thought enter.

And so I invite you to do the same, because of all spiritual exercises this is the most necessary and the most useful and can lead others [f. 1v] to a higher level. For you will never find any place where you can learn better to fend off the seductive pomps of the devil and other foes than in the life of Jesus Christ, which was so completely perfect and without any flaw. And so, when the soul learns to meditate on the life of Lord Jesus Christ with loving attention and desire, practicing this with humility, she enters into a state of familiar ease and trust and love with Lord Jesus Christ, so much so that other things come to seem worthless and unimportant. And also by meditating on the life of Lord Jesus Christ you can learn what to do and how to gain strength for what you must guard against.

I tell you first of all, then, that holy meditation on the life of Lord Jesus Christ comforts the mind and makes it stable against the vanity and malice of the world, as is clear from the life of Saint Cecilia, whose heart was so filled with the life of Lord Jesus that no vain thing could enter it. [f. 2r] So when she was in the midst of the great pomp of the wedding, surrounded by such vanity and by the singing of organs and other pleasing and beautiful instruments, she stayed stable and firm in her heart and sang only to God, saying, “My Lord Jesus Christ, make my heart and my body immaculate, so that no sin may cause me to falter.”

And the life of Lord Jesus Christ also strengthens one against tribulation and adversity, as one can see through the holy martyrs. And concerning this, Saint Bernard says that the martyr’s ability to endure suffering comes from this: that by immersing himself again and again in the wounds of Lord Jesus Christ, meditating on them with love and reflecting on them often, he learns to dwell in them through grace. In this way the martyr remains completely joyful, even when his whole body is lacerated. Now where, then, is the soul of the holy martyr when he suffers martyrdom? It is, without doubt, in the wounds of his Master, Christ Jesus. And you need not be amazed by this, [f. 2v] because they are wide enough to enter by way of meditation on his Passion. And you should know that if the soul were to remain in the body of the martyr when he was tortured, he could not possibly bear the torments; but when the soul rests in the wounds of Lord Jesus Christ through love, the martyr remains constant and steadfast through all the sufferings. And the same is true for the holy confessors and many other saints who rejoice in tribulation and adversity. And why is this, if not because they are constantly thinking and meditating on the life and Passion of their Lord and they remain focused solely on this?

Here, too, you can learn to withstand trials, so that you cannot be deceived or fall into the hands of the devil and of the vices. For the perfection of all the virtues is found here; and here you will find the model and doctrine of the most excellent charity, and of extreme poverty, and of profound humility, and of wisdom and prayer and meekness [f. 3r] and obedience and patience and of all the other virtues. And so Saint Bernard says, “Vainly and without fruit is he who strives to acquire virtue by any means other than from the Lord of Virtues, whose teaching is the seed of prudence, whose mercy is the work of justice, whose life is the mirror of temperance, whose death is the sign of fortitude.” So whoever follows him cannot go astray and cannot be deceived, for following him and acquiring his virtues is the summit of perfection. And by doing this one can enter into a state in which the heart is enflamed by the fervor of charity and enlightened by divine virtue, so much so that one becomes clothed in virtue, with the power to discern the true from the false.

And in this way many who are simple and unlettered have gained knowledge of the lofty and profound things of God.

(excerpted from prologue)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Textual History

Authorship

Date and Place of Composition

The Manuscript

Editorial Principles

A Note on the Translation

Linguistic Analysis by Pär Larson, Istituto Opera del Vocabolario Italiano

Meditations on the Life of Christ: The Short Italian Text

Prologue. Here begins the prologue of the meditations on the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose teaching is the seed of prudence, whose life is the mirror of temperance and patience.

1. Here begins the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. How Our Lady went to visit Saint Elizabeth

3. How Joseph wished to abandon Our Lady.

4. How Lord Jesus Christ was born into the world.

5. How Our Lord Jesus was circumcised.

6. How the kings came to worship Christ with their gifts.

7. How Lord Christ Our Lord was presented at the temple.

8. How Our Lady fled into Egypt with Lord Jesus.

9. How Our Lady returned from Egypt to Nazareth.

10. How the child Lord Jesus remained in Jerusalem.

11. How Our Lord remained subject to his mother and to Joseph from the time he was twelve years old until thirty; and of the things that you may imagine that he did during this time, even though it is not found in any scripture that he did anything.

12. How Our Lord Jesus Christ went to the river Jordan to be baptized by Saint John.

13. How Lord Jesus Christ fasted forty days and forty nights in the desert and how he was tempted by the devil.

14. How Lord Jesus Christ Our Lord entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on a donkey.

15. How Our Lord Jesus dined on Holy Wednesday with his disciples in Bethany in the house of Magdalene.

16. How Lord Jesus celebrated the supper on Holy Thursday with his disciples on Mount Syon.

17. How Our Lord Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples, and how he established the sacrament of his own body and gave it to his disciples.

18. Of the beautiful sermon that Lord Jesus Christ gave to his disciples after communion, and the departure of Judas.

19. How Lord Jesus Christ went to the garden.

20. How Judas came with the high priests to capture Lord Jesus in the garden with weapons and lances and lanterns.

21. How Lord Jesus was led to Pilate at prime.

22. How Our Lord Jesus Christ was bound naked to a column, and how he was harshly flogged.

23. How Pilate sentenced our savior Lord Jesus Christ to death on the cross, and how he carried the cross on his shoulders, and what was done to him, and how Our Lady went to see him.

24. How Lord Jesus was put on the cross between two thieves to increase his shame.

25. How the soldiers of Pilate came to Mount Calvary to break the legs of the thieves and Lord Jesus.

26. How Joseph and Nichodemus came to Mount Calvary to take the body of Lord Jesus down from the cross.

27. How on Saturday Our Lady remained at the house with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, and how the disciples gathered together.

28. How the soul of Christ went to limbo, and how he rose, and how he appeared to his mother and to the three Marys, and other things that he did.

29. How Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples the week after the Resurrection while they were staying at home with the doors locked; and other things that one can conclude that he did.

30. How Our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven and finished his journey.

Notes

Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

In addition to the critical edition, the volume includes a translation into English, contextual annotations to the text, a linguistic analysis of the manuscript by Pär Larson of the Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, and an extensive introduction. This is a substantial and noteworthy contribution to the scholarship on the Meditations on the Life of Christ and on medieval devotional literature.” — Zygmunt G. Barański, University of Notre Dame

"In this ground-breaking edition and study Sarah McNamer makes a very persuasive argument for the primacy of this short Italian text of the Meditations on the Life of Christ among the many longer and later versions, both Italian and Latin. She situates the narrative within the highly affective religious, literary, and artistic traditions of the Trecento, and her careful examination of the evidence—especially the compassionate way the author shapes the narrative in the Infancy and Passion chapters—strongly suggests that its author was a nun of the Clarissan Order in Pisa. The extensive introductory material is replete with sound critical, artistic, historical, and linguistic insights, and McNamer’s excellent edition and translation reflect her meticulous attention both to detail and to the larger literary, historical, and artistic context of the work. This is a major contribution to our greater understanding of the 'minor' literature of the fourteenth century." —Christopher Kleinhenz, Carol Mason Kirk Professor Emeritus of Italian, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"Through this labor of love and painstaking editorial scholarship, Sarah McNamer provides us with a first opportunity to read a beautiful and succinct Italian life of Christ. She further invites us to consider this text as the earliest, and female-authored, version of the Meditations on the Life of Christ, a text read everywhere in Europe from the Prague of the Emperor Charles IV to the Lynn of Margery Kempe. Highly recommended." —David Wallace, Judith Rodin Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania

"McNamer . . . offers the first critical edition of the Italian text of the Meditations on the Life of Christ, one of the most widespread devotional books of the late Middle Ages, along with a beautifully rendered English translation. . . . This volume will be of great value to those interested in the history of women, early vernacular literature, or textual criticism as well as students of Franciscan history and late-medieval devotion." — Choice

“Sarah McNamer has done scholars a great service. . . . Not only has she made a significant contribution to understanding medieval women’s contributions to Christian spirituality, she continues to grow out scholarship on medieval devotional practices and the spread of spiritual literature, clearing up some misunderstandings.” —Magistra

“This long-awaited publication is at once a monograph, arguing passionately. . . for the primacy of a ‘short’ Italian text. . . . This edition provides an essential point of reference for that debate.” —Medium Aevum

"By arguing for the authorship of the earliest form of the Meditationes by a Poor Clare, McNamer situates a woman as being the most influential devotional writer of the late Middle Ages. McNamer suggests that this volume will be of interest to anyone researching the study of early Franciscan women, the early interorder circulation of devotional texts among religious women’s communities, the role of women in the textual community of Pisa, the artistic and cultural history of the Trecento, vernacular theology, and the history of emotion." —Medieval Femininst Forum

"Much is at stake here, and it will take time for Italianists and Franciscan scholars to give these issues the thorough vetting they deserve. In the meantime, McNamer’s compelling arguments have already changed our understanding of theMVC and its reception." —Catholic Historical Review

"But if McNamer’s claims are sustained by further research, she will have restored a classic to early fourteenth-century devotional literature. Her work is a groundbreaking contribution to vernacular devotional writing in Italian, and will both stir and shape debate on the MVC for years to come." —Renaissance Quarterly

“The book presents an edition and facing-page translation of the Canonici text, prefaced by a study addressing the textual history of the MVC, its authorship, date and place of composition, and the manuscript itself. . . . McNamer’s compelling arguments have already changed our understanding of the MVC and its reception.” —The Catholic Historical Review

"McNamer’s work is an exciting contribution, not only to medieval scholarship but to the academy many of us would like to build." —Speculum

"This is a publication that in addition to providing a much-needed edition of a significant text of central Italian medieval devotional literature, will soon become a model for studies in vernacular theology, women's literature, and Franciscanism." —Sixteenth Century Journal

From the Publisher

In addition to the critical edition, the volume includes a translation into English, contextual annotations to the text, a linguistic analysis of the manuscript by Pär Larson of the Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, and a substantial introduction. Overall, this is a substantial and noteworthy contribution to the scholarship on the Meditations on the Life of Christ and on medieval devotional literature.

Zygmunt G. Baranski

Sarah McNamer has done scholars a great service. . . . Not only has she made a significant contribution to understanding medieval women’s contributions to Christian spirituality, she continues to grow out scholarship on medieval devotional practices and the spread of spiritual literature, clearing up some misunderstandings.

Magistra

"Much is at stake here, and it will take time for Italianists and Franciscan scholars to give these issues the thorough vetting they deserve. In the meantime, McNamer’s compelling arguments have already changed our understanding of the MVC and its reception."

Catholic Historical Review

"But if McNamer’s claims are sustained by further research, she will have restored a classic to early fourteenth-century devotional literature. Her work is a groundbreaking contribution to vernacular devotional writing in Italian, and will both stir and shape debate on the MVC for years to come."

Renaissance Quarterly

"By arguing for the authorship of the earliest form of the Meditationes by a Poor Clare, McNamer situates a woman as being the most influential devotional writer of the late Middle Ages. McNamer suggests that this volume will be of interest to anyone researching the study of early Franciscan women, the early interorder circulation of devotional texts among religious women’s communities, the role of women in the textual community of Pisa, the artistic and cultural history of the Trecento, vernacular theology, and the history of emotion."

Medieval Femininst Forum

"In this ground-breaking edition and study Sarah McNamer makes a very persuasive argument for the primacy of this short Italian text of the Meditations on the Life of Christ among the many longer and later versions, both Italian and Latin. She situates the narrative within the highly affective religious, literary, and artistic traditions of the Trecento, and her careful examination of the evidence—especially the compassionate way the author shapes the narrative in the Infancy and Passion chapters—strongly suggests that its author was a nun of the Clarissan Order in Pisa. The extensive introductory material is replete with sound critical, artistic, historical, and linguistic insights, and McNamer’s excellent edition and translation reflect her meticulous attention both to detail and to the larger literary, historical, and artistic context of the work. This is a major contribution to our greater understanding of the 'minor' literature of the fourteenth century."

Christopher Kleinhenz

This long-awaited publication is at once a monograph, arguing passionately. . . for the primacy of a ‘short’ Italian text. . . . This edition provides an essential point of reference for that debate.

Medium Aevum

"Through this labor of love and painstaking editorial scholarship, Sarah McNamer provides us with a first opportunity to read a beautiful and succinct Italian life of Christ. She further invites us to consider this text as the earliest, and female-authored, version of the Meditations on the Life of Christ, a text read everywhere in Europe from the Prague of the Emperor Charles IV to the Lynn of Margery Kempe. Highly recommended."

David Wallace

The book presents an edition and facing-page translation of the Canonici text, prefaced by a study addressing the textual history of the MVC, its authorship, date and place of composition, and the manuscript itself. . . . McNamer’s compelling arguments have already changed our understanding of the MVC and its reception.

The Catholic Historical Review

With the text’s publication being anticipated in some of McNamer’s earlier essays, this edition builds on solid grounds: methodologically sound scholarship, long study of the text in this manuscript version, and accurate contextualization in medieval religious writings and devotional practices.

Michelangelo Zaccarello

"By arguing for the authorship of the earliest form of the Meditationes by a Poor Clare, McNamer situates a woman as being the most influential devotional writer of the late Middle Ages. McNamer suggests that this volume will be of interest to anyone researching the study of early Franciscan women, the early interorder circulation of devotional texts among religious women’s communities, the role of women in the textual community of Pisa, the artistic and cultural history of the Trecento, vernacular theology, and the history of emotion."

null Medieval Femininst Forum