Announcing the Final Examination of Mr. Cole Taylor for the degree of Master of Arts in History
This study investigated the poetry and episcopal statutes of Theodulf of Orléans through the themes of love and food. Theodulf was a bishop around the end of the eighth and into the early ninth centuries, he served under Charlemagne and was eventually exiled by Charlemagne’s successor, Louis the Pious. Despite being widely regarded as a foundational Carolingian figure, Theodulf has not received sustained attention in Anglophone historiography which this thesis seeks to rectify.
The thesis makes three arguments, one primary and two subsidiaries. The overarching primary argument encourages intertextual analysis for medieval sources or unifying seemingly disparate texts under a core theme. The first subsidiary argument centers on love, and that it was through love that Theodulf conceived of the reform movement, correctio, in which his formulations were shaped by a patriarchal and communal interpretation of scripture. The final subsidiary argument locates food throughout Theodulf’s writings and argues that food formed a fundamental ordering concept for Theodulf’s world view.
Committee in Charge: Duncan Hardy (Chair), Connie Lester, Ezekiel Walker
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