Sensory Meaning in Devotions within Cinquecento Dominican circles

Late Medieval and early modern religious practices were sensatory experiences. Promoted by the church, the bodily senses were integral to liturgical services and community and private worship, including devotions intended for ascending to the ecstatic, mystical state of visio Dei. The senses both governed and were governed by the devotional episode, and the worshipper’s effort in the devotional process was vital for the sensatory development. This paper will explore Dominican attitudes on senses in devotions. Sources include writings on theology, philosophy, and the arts by late cinquecento Dominican Fra Serafino Razzi and his influences—Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, among others.