From Sacred Body to Angelic Soul

"Through an insightful examination of popular sermons by some of the most famous preachers of the day, Donna Spivey Ellington discusses the importance of Marian devotion to the religious understanding of European Christians in the late medieval and early modern periods. She charts a dramatic shift of emphasis in the public portrayal of the Virgin Mary from the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. As Europe experienced the impact of printing and increased literacy, the Protestant Reformation, the growing development of individualism and a private sense of self, and changing attitudes to women, Marian devotion was also transformed. The Church's portrait of the Virgin gradually became focused less on her body and more on her soul.". "This book unlocks the complex structure of late medieval piety and opens doors to understanding early modern Catholic spirituality. It will be of interest to readers exploring Marian devotion, late medieval and early modern religious life, or literacy theory."--BOOK JACKET.