Penance and Empires of Sin
Thursday 10 July 09.00-10.30
Abstract: In the sixth century a new kind of text originated in Ireland and the Celtic speaking parts of Britain: penitential books. These texts systematically set out requirements for the expiation of a great number of sins and would in turn influence medieval conceptions of forgiveness, culpability, and pastoral care. These notions were transmitted to Britain and Continental Europe by Irish (and Irish-influenced) monastic communities. This panel will discuss the pastoral and social effects of this intriguing development in penitential thought and practice in Ireland and the impact it had in Francia and Britain.
Keywords: Ecclesiastical History; Canon Law, Hagiography, Religious Life, Social History
Organizers: Elaine Pereira Farrell and David Burke
Moderator: Roy Flechner (University College Dublin)
Paper a: Penance, pastoral care, and kingdoms of sin
Speaker 1: David Burke (University of Durham)
Paper b: The penitential literature as instrument of conversion
Speaker 2: Elaine Pereira Farrell (Trinity College Dublin)
Paper c: The influence of Irish penitential books and ideas on the European mainland
Speaker 3: Rob Meens (University of Utrecht)
Penance, Penitential Tradition, and Pastoral Care in the Middle Ages 