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Abstract
This study examines the way in which free will is discussed in the first half of the sixteenth century by Anna Bijns (1493–1575), a Catholic poet from Antwerp. Free will was debated intensely by Martin Luther and Erasmus in 1524 and 1525, finally leading to the definitive break in their hitherto amicable relationship. Bijns was also very interested in religious issues and famous for her aggressive poems against Luther. She took a stand against Luther’s opinion in the discussion. Using the very special form of a refrein, a typical Dutch kind of poem that was popular in late medieval and early modern chambers of rhetoric, she explained why every human being has free will.
In this article I introduce a new approach to explore the reading habits of early modern readers. I focus on the reciprocal relationship between the individual reader, a single text, the physical object book and the collection a book belongs to. For a systematic perspective on these complex and dynamic relationships I introduce the concept of the ‚responsive reader.‘ My approach thus deals with the empirical reader; I will look over his shoulder to the text he reads and to the way he reacts to them. The approach is pointed out here on a case study of one edition of Thomas van Kempen’s De imitatione Christi (probably printed in 1501) from the collection of the Stiftsbibliothek in Xanten, belonging to the Lower German Meuse-Rhine-area. But the most important source is not yet the text itself, but the ownership marks and the user’s notes that were written on the title page, on blank pages or beside the text. The notes can mean everything from little drawings to extensive comments and they can tell us how readers have received the text, how they reacted on it and which kind of thoughts they connected to it. The personal reactions in the margins are to be completed by biographical information derived from archival materials. Altogether, this information will lead to a vivid picture of the reader, his reading habits, and his personal perception of the text.
A media theory of poetical impact is proposed by Franz-Josef Holznagel and Dieuwke van der Poel. Levente Seláf, Philipp Steinkamp, and Guillaume van Gemert examine the genres sung in wars, and in rulers’ controversies. Judith Keßler, Dirk Coigneau, Juliette Groenland, and Regina Toepfer analyse how female and male rhetoricians and humanists use verse in religious, municipal, and educational conflicts. Signe Rotter-Broman, Samuel Pakucs Willcocks†, and Alasdair A. MacDonald explain how reception strategies can shape cultural and political identities.
Controversial Poetry 1400-1625 diskutiert den entscheidenden Einfluss von Controversial Poetry, Kontrovers-Dichtung, in Konflikten zwischen 1400 und 1625. Dafür werden die Rollen und Funktionen lateinischer, italienischer, niederländischer, deutscher, schottischer und ungarischer Dichtung in konkreten historischen Kontroversen analysiert. Eine Medientheorie der Beeinflussung durch Dichtung entwerfen Franz-Josef Holznagel and Dieuwke van der Poel. Levente Seláf, Philipp Steinkamp, and Guillaume van Gemert untersuchen verschiedene Gattungen gesungener Politik in Kriegen und Auseinandersetzungen von Herrschern. Judith Keßler, Dirk Coigneau, Juliette Groenland und Regina Töpfer analysieren, wie weibliche und männliche rederijkers und Humanisten Verse in konfessionellen, städtischen und Bildungs-Konflikten verwenden. Signe Rotter-Broman, Samuel Pakucs Willcocks† und Alasdair MacDonald erklären, wie Rezeptions-Strategien kulturelle und politische Identitäten gestalten können.
A media theory of poetical impact is proposed by Franz-Josef Holznagel and Dieuwke van der Poel. Levente Seláf, Philipp Steinkamp, and Guillaume van Gemert examine the genres sung in wars, and in rulers’ controversies. Judith Keßler, Dirk Coigneau, Juliette Groenland, and Regina Toepfer analyse how female and male rhetoricians and humanists use verse in religious, municipal, and educational conflicts. Signe Rotter-Broman, Samuel Pakucs Willcocks†, and Alasdair A. MacDonald explain how reception strategies can shape cultural and political identities.
Controversial Poetry 1400-1625 diskutiert den entscheidenden Einfluss von Controversial Poetry, Kontrovers-Dichtung, in Konflikten zwischen 1400 und 1625. Dafür werden die Rollen und Funktionen lateinischer, italienischer, niederländischer, deutscher, schottischer und ungarischer Dichtung in konkreten historischen Kontroversen analysiert. Eine Medientheorie der Beeinflussung durch Dichtung entwerfen Franz-Josef Holznagel and Dieuwke van der Poel. Levente Seláf, Philipp Steinkamp, and Guillaume van Gemert untersuchen verschiedene Gattungen gesungener Politik in Kriegen und Auseinandersetzungen von Herrschern. Judith Keßler, Dirk Coigneau, Juliette Groenland und Regina Töpfer analysieren, wie weibliche und männliche rederijkers und Humanisten Verse in konfessionellen, städtischen und Bildungs-Konflikten verwenden. Signe Rotter-Broman, Samuel Pakucs Willcocks† und Alasdair MacDonald erklären, wie Rezeptions-Strategien kulturelle und politische Identitäten gestalten können.