Originally published on June 2, 2021 (Episode 208)
Introduction
Throughout early modern Europe it was expected that neighbor would love neighbor as a spiritual practice, and that this corresponded with a discernible set of rules for everyday living. That’s Katie Barclay’s argument in her most recent book Caritas: Neighbourly Love and the Early Modern Self. Moreover, she also argues that not only was caritas an ethical norm, it was also an emotion that was part of the experience of people of all levels of society.
Using Scottish legal records from the 17th and 18th centuries, she studies how this ethic and emotion of caritas shaped relationships between couples, families, and through the surrounding community.
About the Guest
Professor Katie Barclay is a Future Fellow in the Department of History and Archaeology of Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She is an internationally leading expert in the history of emotions, gender and family life. Between 2019 and March 2024, she was Head of Historical and Classical Studies and Director of the Fay Gale Centre in Gender Studies at the University of Adelaide. From 2019-2022, she was Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in the History of Emotions. With Andrew Lynch and Giovanni Tarantino, she edits the journal Emotions: History, Culture, Society.
For Further Investigation
Katie Barclay, Caritas: Neighbourly Love and the Early Modern Self (OUP, 2021)
Emotions: History, Culture, Society (journal co-edited by Barclay, Lynch, and Tarantino)
Emotions Make History podcast
💬 Listen & Discuss
How do ethics and emotions intertwine in shaping communities? Share your reflections in the comments — and consider forwarding this episode to a friend who loves history and ideas.
