The Permeable Self: Five Medieval Relationships

The Permeable Self: Five Medieval Relationships examines five distinct types of interpersonal bonds from medieval Europe. Through extensive research and analysis of historical texts, Barbara Newman explores relationships between humans and God, humans and spirits, humans with other humans, and the relationship between body and soul. Each chapter focuses on a specific medieval text that illustrates a different type of relationship dynamic. Newman draws from mystical writings, courtly literature, theological treatises, and personal letters to construct her analysis of medieval attitudes toward intimacy and connection. The author demonstrates how medieval people understood themselves in relation to others - both earthly and divine - through practices like prayer, mystical encounters, friendship, and romantic love. Her investigation reveals a medieval worldview where boundaries between self and other were more fluid than in modern times. This study offers insights into how pre-modern Europeans conceived of identity, spirituality and human connection in ways that challenge contemporary assumptions about individuality and relationships. Newman's work illuminates the complex interplay between religious and secular understandings of intimacy in medieval culture.

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🔖 Barbara Newman coined the term "permeable self" to describe how medieval people understood their relationship with the divine, experiencing a more fluid boundary between self and other than modern individuals typically do. 📚 The book explores five distinct types of medieval relationships: with God, demons, fellow Christians, the dead, and one's own body—relationships that were seen as deeply interconnected in medieval thought. ⚜️ Newman is a renowned medievalist who has won multiple awards, including the Haskins Medal from the Medieval Academy of America, one of the highest honors in medieval studies. 🕊️ The concept of "holy intimacies" discussed in the book shows how medieval mystics often described their relationship with God in surprisingly physical and romantic terms. 📖 The research draws from a wide range of medieval sources, including mystical writings, miracle stories, theological treatises, and personal letters, spanning from the 12th to the 15th centuries.