Sincerity in Medieval English Language and Literature

Graham Williams is Senior Lecturer in the History of English at the University of Sheffield, UK.

“Williams has succeeded in writing a book that is balanced in terms of structure and content. … To read this interesting book, one does not need to be a professional philologist specialized in Medieval English. It suffices to be familiar with current linguistic terminology and to have a general understanding of the spread of Christianity into Europe. I would in fact recommend the book to any linguist interested in understanding how Christianity has influenced the European notion and language of emotions.” (Heli Tissari,Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, Vol. 55, 2020)

• Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Before sincerity: Pagan beliefs of language and emotion.- Chapter 3: God who knows the heart: The Christianization of language and emotion.- Chapter 4: Sincerity in contrition: From confessions to apologies.- Chapter 5: Sincerity in love: From ‘caritas’ to ‘affectio maritalis’.- Chapter 6: Conclusion.