Ebook: Strategies of Writing: Studies on Text and Trust in the Middle Ages: Papers from "Trust in Writing in the Middle Ages" (Utrecht, 28-29 November 2002)

Trust is the basis of all social relations. It presupposes the concordance of word and deed. Trust is not created spontaneously, but requires a process of observation and socialization, and thus is culturally determined and subject to change. Writing may engender trust, and trust may be placed in written texts.

The contributions to this volume address the complex relationships between ‘trust’ and ‘writing’ in the Middle Ages. They deal with charters, historiography, letters, political communication, and the possibilities of trust in writing. Some of the questions addressed are: Does writing as a medium engender trust irrespective of the contents of the written text? Was trust in writing dependent on trust in an authority? Was the written form of the text meant to confer trust on its contents? Did rituals take place that were meant to enhance the text’s trustworthiness? Can changes be observed in the strategies of engendering trust? Was trust considered food for reflection in written texts? What was considered to constitute a breach of trust? The volume is dedicated to Michael Clanchy, whose work inspired much of its contents.