God, Demons, and FearEmotion, The Self, and Self-control in Gregory of Tours

How did Gregory of Tours use Christian fears to explore ethical discourse on the formation of the good and bad self?

• Analyses cases of fear from across Gregory of Tours entire literary corpus including the lesser studied Miracles of the Blessed Apostle Andrew
• Offers a fresh perspective on Gregory of Tours that builds on the earlier views of established scholars such as Walter Goffart, Giselle de Nie, Guy Halsall, and Martin Heinzelmann to name but a few
• Develops the history of fear by exploring late antique attitudes towards and the contemporary uses of this in a historical and theological setting
• Provides the foundations to reopen discussions surrounding the impact that Rome’s decline had on the social, political, and cultural environment in Gaul

The sixth-century bishop, Gregory of Tours, is one of the most renowned figures in the history of Merovingian Gaul (c.458-751 CE). This book explores a new side to Gregory: his interest in and attitudes towards Christian fears and their role in shaping the good self and good society. By analysing Gregory’s written references to the fears of God, the devil, and demons, Hailstone argues that Gregory was and is better understood as a “Christian intellectual” whose views and writings merged Christian principles and practices together with Graeco-Roman ethics. This book invites us to re-evaluate our knowledge of Gregory and the early Merovingians, encouraging us to rethink what an analysis of emotions can tell us about the impact that Rome’s decline had on the social, political, and cultural environment of Gaul.