The Vox Dei: Communication in the Middle Ages

This book examines the development of communication in Western European society between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries, as an integral part of the process of social, economic, and political integration that medieval society was experiencing at the time. The geographical and chronological delimitations of this research reflect a unique historical process through which European society evolved from the universal concepts of early Christianity into an embryonic national consciousness. This process created a fruitful arena for the widespread use of manipulation and propaganda by both supporters and critics who exploited all the means of communication at their disposal: the written word, the oral message, and the pictorial representation. Menache shows how the socio-economic changes characteristic of this period left their marks on the development of communications systems which, from a historical perspective, heralded the forms and methods of modern communication. Offering insight into a rich world that also included symbols, stereotypes, communication habits, and slogans, this intriguing study introduces new perspectives regarding the development of communication, propaganda, and manipulation in contemporary society, and provides the essential features of medieval communication which, though modified, are still in use today.