Call for Papers for Panel
Fear of Death in the Middle Ages
International Medieval Congress Leeds, 7-10 July 2025
Due By 11 September 2024
Chrismatory, French, ca. 1200–1220, The MET, Public Domain. For more information and images, click here.
We invite scholars to submit papers for a session at the Leeds International Medieval Congress 2025, focusing on the multifaceted approaches to fear of death in the Middle Ages. This session aims to delve into the emotional, theological, textual, and social dimensions of how death was feared and perceived during this period.
In the Middle Ages fear of death and the afterlife played a significant role in shaping societal and theological norms, lived religion, the composition of works, and personal behaviour. This session aligns with the IMC 2025 theme of "Worlds of learning" as death and dying were seen as something that could and should be learned while living. We are particularly interested in papers that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Theological interpretations of death and the afterlife, and how they instilled fear in medieval societies.
- Depictions of death in medieval art and literature as reflections of contemporary fears.
- Rituals and practices surrounding death and dying aimed at mitigating the fear of the unknown.
- The concept of a ‘good death’ as a countermeasure to the fear of death.
- The influence of saints, relics, and miracles in alleviating fear of death.
We welcome submissions from various disciplines, including history, theology, literature, art history, monastic studies, and more. Papers should provide new insights into how medieval people understood and responded to the fear of death.
Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted by 11th September to Jyrki Nissi (jyrki.nissi@tuni.fi). Please include a brief bio with your submission along with your contact details and affiliation. The Leeds International Medieval Congress will be held July 7th–July 10th at the University of Leeds, UK.
For further information, please contact jyrki.nissi@tuni.fi.
We look forward to your submissions and to a stimulating session at Leeds IMC 2025.