The Cult of Saint Elijah in Serbia and the System of the Royal Ideology under the Nemanjić Dynasty (12th–14th Centuries)
Up to this point, the function of St. Elijah’s cult in the royal ideological system in medieval Serbia during the Nemanjić dynasty (1166-1371) has not been adequately researched. This paper adopts the idea that descriptions of episodes from this Old Testament prophet’s life were masterfully adapted...
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| Contributors: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
The journal of Eastern Christian studies
Year: 2023, Volume: 75, Issue: 1/2, Pages: 19-39 |
| Further subjects: | B
Royal Ideology
B Saint Elijah B Nemanjić Dynasty B Hagiography B Medieval Serbia |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Up to this point, the function of St. Elijah’s cult in the royal ideological system in medieval Serbia during the Nemanjić dynasty (1166-1371) has not been adequately researched. This paper adopts the idea that descriptions of episodes from this Old Testament prophet’s life were masterfully adapted in the Serbian religious medieval literature for the purpose of constructing a few essential elements of the local ruling ideological norms. In addition to a brief overview of the church history of the central Balkans from the 7th to the early 13th century, which conditioned the late and partially finished Christianization of this area, the political and religious doctrines on which the rulers based their legitimacy during this period are explicated. The emphasis was on the concept of dynastic sanctity, which manifested itself not only through the systematic canonization of local rulers and church dignitaries of the Serbian church which was established in 1219 but also through the sacralization of the geographical space of the Serbian state and the long-lasting pursuit of total evangelization of its population. Numerous religious texts were written for this purpose, mostly hagiographies, which serve as the fundamental historical source for this research. By referencing St. Elijah’s God-pleasing monastic deeds and his puritan fight for "Christian" virtues when interacting with the secular leaders or pagans, the actions of his medieval counterparts are explained, justified, or even glorified, in a language understandable to numerous readers of the Bible and patristic literature across the Serbian realm. |
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| ISSN: | 1783-1520 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of Eastern Christian studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/17831520-20230024 |