Laity, in the Middle Ages, tends to be seen as ‘the other’. When we encounter the term in our sources it often draws attention to what someone is not: ordained, Latinate, educated.
However, no one would suggest that only clerics shaped medieval culture and partook in its expressions. This workshop will explore ‘the other culture’ and ask about the agents, forms and impulses that it incorporated.
Papers address the culture(s) of the lay elites from the 12th century until the end of the medieval period, covering political culture, devotional practice, and literary culture. The workshop will bring scholars from different medieval disciplines into dialogue with one another and create a space for exchange and a test ground for new approaches.
The keynote lecture on Friday evening will be held by Sabrina Corbellini (Groningen) on "Crossing the Lay-Religious Divide: Spatial Approaches to Religious Literacies in Late Medieval Europe".
Download the workshop poster (.pdf)