The twelfth-century Latin West saw the rise of a tradition of bridal mysticism. Based on the Song of Songs, the Old-Testament love dialogue, the relationship with God was envisioned as a love... Show moreThe twelfth-century Latin West saw the rise of a tradition of bridal mysticism. Based on the Song of Songs, the Old-Testament love dialogue, the relationship with God was envisioned as a love relationship with the heavenly bridegroom involving feelings of desire. The leading question in my research is how, in the medieval Low Countries, the affectionate and multisensorial vocabulary related to the Song of Songs engaged reader-viewers in a personal, transformative dialogue with Christ by evoking performative modes of reading and viewing that encouraged devotees to physically or imaginatively play out the text or image.Although originated in the male monastic context, bridal mysticism became a potent way for various groups, including women and laypeople, to participate in the culture of saints and mystics. Access to and ownership of devotional objects provided devotees with agency and possibilities for spiritual development. In spiritual practice, individuals had different options at their disposal, allowing them to choose between different ways of imagining their bridal relationship with Christ. Bridal mysticism accommodated these various options and practices and gave and impulse to the conceptualization of the role of the senses in spirituality. Show less
Books in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century played an important role in the dissemination of liberal and nationalist ideologies, thus instigating social change in the Arab world. The... Show moreBooks in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century played an important role in the dissemination of liberal and nationalist ideologies, thus instigating social change in the Arab world. The focus of this study are printed Arabic books where the ideas of modernity in both form and content were advocated. Secular and literary publications, written in the Arabic language, printed and produced in the Arab world—namely in Cairo and Beirut—are selected as case studies. This research examines their formal aspects and investigates how their visual design has promoted ideals of modernity, thus painting a picture of a contemporary Arab design language that blends Islamic and western design conventions. It proves that the visual aspect of books creates a lasting bond with its readership and becomes a significant part of their perceived (or imagined) cultural identity. The study also proves that visual design, by imposing the stamp on the book-object, does flavor the reading of books. This research also confirms that cultural exchange has contributed to a modern Arab publishing and book design culture; and that the ensuing (typo)graphic design conventions still resonate in contemporary Arabic book design and constitute a foundation for designing future Arabic books. Show less
