Lex
A Study on Medieval Terminology for Religion
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10196945 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nathan J Ristuccia (0000-0001-6109-6913, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 531-548 |
| Publication date | 2019-11-21 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Religious History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4227 • E-ISSN: 1467-9809 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1467-9809.12628 |
| OpenAlex | W2990247889 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
Medieval Christian authors frequently employed the Latin word lex (“law”) and its vernacular cognates to mean something akin to the modern notion of “religion.” Like a religion, a lex was the collection of observances that marked a particular people‐group, such as Christians or Muslims. This article examines the category of lex in its historical context revealing both its similarities and differences from modern “religion.” It argues that the category of lex borrowed on Roman ethnography and Patristic exegesis and was inseparable from larger Christian ideas about society, human nature, and political order
Archaeology · Art · Context (archaeology · Ethnography · Exegesis · Linguistics · Literature · Medieval Latin · Middle Ages · Order (exchange · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Terminology · Theology · Vernacular · Anthropology · Classics · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Law · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity · Religious studies · Religious Studies
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |