Popular Piety in the Middle Ages: What is Popular?

Abstract

From the outset of this paper it should be clear that I do not underwrite the term "Popular piety" as it stands. If, from time to time, I do use it, this is, first of all, because it is in my title; secondly, and more important, because, as I hope will become evident as I go along, I am not using it in its accepted sense, as something over and against a higher or "learned" piety, as happens in the dichotomy so favoured by many scholars: "Foi savante — Foi populaire" and "Official piety — Popular Piety."