Alastair Minnis's scholarship characteristically integrates reading strategies from literary criticism with the history of ideas. His work is deeply informed by an interest in medieval philosophy and theology. He explores the ways in which conceptions of paradise were created in the later Middle Ages. Minnis's approach is marked by a synthesis of close reading and a broad historical and philosophical perspective.
'Phantom limb pain' designates the sensations which emanate from limbs that in reality are missing. First coined in the American Civil War, Alastair Minnis traces the medieval parallels for this concept. Is a complete body necessary for personhood? These issues were as absorbing for medieval thinkers as they are for neuroscientists today.
In From Eden to Eternity, Alastair Minnis argues that Eden afforded an extraordinary amount of creative space to late medieval theologians, painters, and poets as they tried to understand the place that God had deemed worthy of the creature made in His image.
Historians on Chaucer brings together 25 experts in the history of fourteenth- century England to discuss one of the most famous works of Middle English literature-Geoffrey Chaucer's 'General Prologue' to the Canterbury Tales-in relation to the economic change, social issues, and religious controversies of the period.
Alastair Minnis, a prominent English professor at Yale University, explores themes of authorship and literary theory in his works. His notable publications include an examination of Chaucer's characters, the Pardoner and the Wife of Bath, as well as a study on medieval literary attitudes during the later Middle Ages. Both titles are published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, showcasing his expertise in medieval literature and the complexities of authorship.
A lively, accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the life and work of the fourteenth-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer.
Valuing the Vernacular
Alastair Minnis explores the intricate connections between authority and vernacular language in late medieval English literature. Through critical analysis, he examines how these relationships shape the understanding of power and expression in the literary works of the period, offering insights into the cultural and social dynamics of medieval England.
Focusing on the literature of late-medieval England, Alastair Minnis explores the intricate dynamics between authority and vernacular expression. Through his critical analysis, he delves into how these relationships shaped literary works and influenced cultural perceptions during the period. His investigation highlights the significance of language and power in medieval texts, offering insights into the broader societal context of the time.
Available again with a new preface, this classic work of medieval literary scholarship argues that discussion of late-medieval literary works has tended to derive its critical vocabulary from modern, not medieval, theory, and offers instead a conceptual equipment which is at once historically valid and theoretically illuminating.
This unique volume offers for the first time a comprehensive introduction to the literary theory and criticism produced during the Middle Ages. The essays cover all the main traditions in Medieval Latin, Byzantine Greek, and the major European vernaculars, as well as the humanist debates on literature and its uses.
