About

Hi,

I’m Ruth and I am a part-time Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Reading.

My research focuses on accounts of miraculous cure (and to a lesser extent miraculous punishment) in twelfth-century posthumous miracles (the miracula) produced in Benedictine monastic houses in England.  I have, thus far, focused my attention on eight specific cult-centres and their associated saints, and contemporary miracula.

I take a multi-analytic approach to these sources in order to tease out this information.  Using statistical analysis, literary analysis, and terminological analysis in unison it was possible to investigate various elements of the journey to miraculous cure-seeking and the place of cure-seeking within the broader practices of contemporary healthcare.   In so doing, my thesis not only considered practical elements of the cure-seekers’ journeys to find holy healing, but also the level of medical knowledge within these religious institutions. This resulted in an insight into the place of miracle cures within the wider parameters of contemporary healthcare.

This blog is an outlet for my multiple medieval musings (and sometimes post-medieval musings too).  My aim is to post on the last Friday of the month, so please feel feel to have a pootle through the posts and to use the contact form if you wish to get in contact.

Happy history-ing!

find me on Twitter @r_j_salter