God Made Word: An Archaeology of Mystic Discourse in Early Modern Spain

God Made Word reconsiders early modern Spanish mysticism by analyzing the tensions between making interiorized spiritual union known and conveying its unknowability through a language-based approach, encompassing poetry, theatre, and autobiography. It demonstrates how these generic separations emerged from an emphasis on cultivating and controlling interiorized spirituality and highlights the emergence of distinct discursive rules and expectations for representations of the ineffable.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

The Golden Age of Spanish mysticism has long been interpreted through the lenses of individual authors or theological traditions. However, God Made Word takes a fresh approach by viewing early modern Spanish mysticism as a linguistic and discursive phenomenon that unfolded within specific social, institutional, and geographic contexts. By proposing a novel interpretation of this period, God Made Word delves into the complexities of representing interiorized spiritual union, the interplay between revealing and concealing its unknowability.

Dale Shuger, the author of God Made Word, skillfully combines a literary analysis of genres such as poetry, theatre, and autobiography with a language-based exploration of fields that have primarily been the domain of historians and theologians. Shuger argues that these traditional genre divisions emerged as a result of an increasing emphasis on cultivating and controlling interiorized spirituality. Through a close examination of specific mystic representations, God Made Word reveals the emergence of distinct discursive rules and expectations that govern a wide array of representations of the ineffable.

This innovative approach to Spanish mysticism offers a rich and nuanced understanding of the period, challenging traditional narratives and shedding light on the complex interplay between language, spirituality, and social context. By exploring the struggles over the representation of interiorized spiritual union, God Made Word provides valuable insights into the development of mysticism in early modern Spain and its broader cultural significance.

Weight: 604g
Dimension: 235 x 159 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487528805