Reply To: Public vs. Private Devotion

[Sam Saccomen]

I would say private would be a good word to describe the Gothic period. Individuals had personal devotional objects and those who could afford it had private devotional spaces. Some individuals of the Gothic period carried small crosses or other religious items with them. Some people had moralized bibles but only the wealthy could afford these books because they were expensive at the time. The Book of Hours also became popular. Many individuals started to have the Book of Hours as the Gothic period continued. These books although they had numerous pictures throughout them, many individuals of this time period were still illiterate making it almost impossible for them to fully understand the Word of God. That brings questions to my head? Were these items and space a way to show class, a way to get away from the lower classes, or did private worship become popular? I believe it was another way to show class because again lower classes were unable to purchase these moralized books and all still went to the churches to worship. All the upper class was able to worship in their own homes with these moralized bibles at hand and private devotion spaces. I believe it was a way to separate classes once again.