Power, control and religious language: Latin and vernacular contests in the Christian medieval and reformation periods

Language is a fundamental component of communication and therefore a fundamental component in the formation of individual and social identities, the shape of social knowledge, the functioning of social relationships and the constructions and contests of social power. As numerous theorists through the twentieth century have posited, language is not just a tool for getting information across: it is a major cultural location where social knowledge, identity and power are fought over and negotiated.