Transitus

This volume explores how medieval Christianity understood
dying as a profound passage – spiritual, communal, and
ritual – shaped by hope, fear, and trust in God. Drawing on
theology, history, art, and literature, it examines strategies of
integrating dying in Christian living and confronting the end
of earthly existence spiritually – through prayer, liturgy, and
imaginative reflection on the afterlife. At its heart lies a theological
inquiry: How did medieval theologians and religious
writers interpret death in relation to salvation, Judgment,
memory, and eternal life? Bringing together diverse perspectives
on eschatology, communal experience, ritual, and the
rules of dying well, this collection reveals medieval death as
a richly layered phenomenon between human frailty and
final destiny. Together, the 20 contributions offer a compelling
and nuanced account of how the medieval theological
imagination aimed to shape the preparation, practice, and
celebration of Christian dying.