Visions of Inclusion: Universal Salvation and Vernacular Theology in Pre-Reformation England Nicholas Watson University o( Western Ontario London. Ontario /// t/'fii hillt- /i/iaiini liilwij iind in iluii iiiincpLiic iit the Ihty of Daorn Hi/, ttmi^clci tt'it/i iiii. tronifn's schullc hhwcn iind n-y.wn iillc men tlutt luuUen suffial eii'th iith thai the tvorltl nuts formtdjioni Heth to lytte. itnel sfhiiUc t'onifu in body [ttnrij soiillc tu iu^^cnnnt hcfort the fair of otire lord in the I'li/f of losiiphitth. And ihv doom ^thitllc hcu on /'stir dity snch tymc iis onre lord III om. And thv tlom a lull hc^ ynnv such haurt- iis ourc (hidj descended to hcllt' anddispoyled it, for iit stuh ht/toe sth/tlhe despoyle the worlilandIcde his ihosow to hlissf. and the othnr schallt' he eondempne to perpettiellepeyues. And thaniie schalle etifry man hatic after his dissert, ottthergode or ettyllr— but yif the mercy of (iodpasse his ri^htivisness. —'riK'Tr;tvels <)( .Sir John Mantlcvilk' This paper is p;(rt tit .i larger sttidy of the vcrn,KttIar rcligitni.s culturf of England between the Norman ClniiqueM and the sixtcetith-ccnrtiry Refor- mation. I he .study t^^cll^^e.'^ nil rlu* cliarj^ed relations lietwecri theological ideas, ihc writers and readers of ilie texts in which these ideas arc K»und. and the iangtiages {r"ng!ish and Aiiglo-Norm.in) in wliich tlie texts were written, who.se political .siatus, culttiral and ideological roles, and capacity tor cxprcs- .sion changed markedly during the period.' At present. Middle English reli- gious writings are ottcii read in a "tttp down" way. as part ot the churchs pastoral project or nianitestaiions oi ' pdpular picry." The as.sumption is that ideas expressed by sticli writings are merely simpIiHed versions o( ideas devel- oped in I,arin by clerics, and tliat vernacular culture was characterized by k'cling, nm thotight. .md by practiLal rather than sju'culanve approaches to truth. Like pricscs distributing the hosi to laypcople who are ignt>ranr of eiicharistic rheology but can still "believe and leave to wonder." the writers Jiiitriiiil of Metlietii/iind I'ar/y Motlvrn Studies J'.J. Spring 1997. Copyrig/'i <0 h Duke University Ihea I *• )?I $2.00.