The Transformation of Genre in the 15th-century English Biblical Paraphrase in Verse

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K00421
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02030:English literature and literature in the English language-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Takami 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 名誉教授 (50190476)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 中世英文学 / 聖書 / biblical paraphrase / 15世紀

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through an analysis of the 'biblical paraphrase' produced in English in the 15th century, this study has shown that this genre, in which the teaching of catechism and curiosity about the biblical world are combined, functioned as a tool for comprehensive religious and didactic teaching for the laity, Furthermore, it was shown through an analysis of manuscript contexts and paratexts that many of the texts were contained in manuscripts compiled primarily for the laity. The restrictions on vernacular theology imposed by the Arundel Constitution (1409) led to the diversity of biblical narratives in the vernacular and their flourishing circulation, revealing that in the 15th century when the production of new religious writings was considered to be limited, biblical narratives demonstrated the diversity and developed a general lay readership.

Free Research Field

英文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アランデル教令が英訳聖書や英語の宗教書の流通を禁じた15世紀のイングランドにおいて、聖書ナラティブが対照的に隆盛し多様化したことで一般信徒にとっての総括的な教化文学として機能したことを、文学史的に辿るとともに、複数の具体例の分析によって例証したことは、中世イギリス文学史への学術的貢献である。また、西洋中世における俗語による聖書受容を、ラテン語原典との比較および写本のコンテクストの分析を方法論として論じたことで、宗教改革前夜における民衆レベルでのキリスト教信仰および宗教教育の実態を明らかにすることに貢献し、中世から近代への転換期におけるキリスト教文化史にとって意義のある成果となった。