Vernacular Christology

Jesus appears in Middle English literature as a character formed from many historical layers of Scripture and theology and shaped by the doctrine of hypostatic union, which establishes his two natures—God and man. This chapter examines how theologians imagine Jesus through figurative language, how those figures are rewritten, and how they inform vernacular Christology. Works by Augustine of Hippo, Anselm of Canterbury, and Peter Lombard are discussed as examples of metaphorical accretions and revisions in theories of redemption. Their works serve as a basis for close readings of figurative language in succeeding chapters. Part of the chapter is devoted to a survey of studies that establish Jesus as a complicated, even contradictory figure in visual arts and medieval discourses. Another part of the chapter considers Christian theories about Judaism, touching on the relationship between affective piety and anti-Judaic attitudes. This chapter offers original contributions to scholarly conversations in the fields of medieval theology, visual arts, affective piety, and Middle English literature.