Gripla - 20.12.2009, Page 18

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seems unconvincing. Adaptations, combinations and syncretisms are more
likely. But this elementary observation does not help to clarify the particu­
lar patterns that crystallized on the northern periphery of Western
Christendom. If we want to test the relevance of civilizational analysis to
this issue, it would seem advisable to take note of earlier work in that vein.
I will therefore discuss ideas put forward by authors who saw the medieval
North from a civilizational angle, although they did not always use that
language. the speculative character of their arguments should not deter us
from closer examination: they may have asked questions that are still
worth pursuing, even when the answers and the presuppositions reflected
in them leave something to be desired, and undeveloped insights may be
translatable into more adequate terms. this excursion through the history
of ideas will be combined with a discussion of substantive issues. But to
provide a background to both sides of the argument, a few introductory
remarks on some key aspects of the civilizational frame of reference are in
order.
the civilizational dimension: Definitions and examples
Civilizational analysis may now be seen as an established and thriving form
of historical sociology, with links to classical sources and a formative phase
beginning with a more recent revival. No comprehensive account can be
attempted in this paper (for a more detailed discussion, see Arnason 2003).
A few crucial points should, however, be noted; they will serve as signposts
for closer engagement with the main theme.
1. Case studies and comparative analyses have shown that intertwined
forms of religious and political life are the most central and revealing
criteria for identifying civilizational patterns. Seen from a civilizational
perspective, the religious and political spheres are not simply specific
parts of a societal whole; rather, they are “meta-institutions” (to use a
concept of Durkheimian origin), i.e. fundamental and interconnected
components of the framework within which all domains of social life
take shape, interact and develop along their own lines. On this level,
religion and politics represent the core structures – structuring struc­