The Medieval English “Soul and Body” Debate and the Franciscan Ideal

The large number of texts on the debates, both in Latin and in the vernacular, that have survived to the present day proves the great attraction this literary form generated as a means to disseminate ideas and themes mostly of a moral and religious nature. They had their greatest development during the Middle Ages throughout Western Europe, and the most vital and discussed group is probably that between soul and body. They mostly consist of moral debates about who, between body and soul, was responsible for sin. Specifically, they reflect the authors’ views toward the doctrinal changes that occurred in Christian theology of the period in which they were active. The present work intends to illustrate how from the 10th century onwards the authors constantly revived the soul-body debate in England by employing a number of persistent elements. However, it will be highlighted how during the 13th century this debate was radically renewed and actualised to be fitted to the educational purpose of the Franciscan ideal of poverty. What I rather aim to do, is to look at the Medieval English debate, especially the vernacular debate poem known as Þe desputisoun bitven þe bodi and þe soule, to assess its historical, cultural and intellectual context.