<p>“Williams has succeeded in writing a book that is balanced in terms of structure and content. … To read this interesting book, one does not need to be a professional philologist specialized in Medieval English. It suffices to be familiar with current linguistic terminology and to have a general understanding of the spread of Christianity into Europe. I would in fact recommend the book to any linguist interested in understanding how Christianity has influenced the European notion and language of emotions.” (Heli Tissari,Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, Vol. 55, 2020)</p>
“Weaving together linguistic, emotional, social and literary histories in magisterial fashion, Williams traces the English cultural-ideological basis of sincerity, showing how it developed in the communicative contextsof Christian devotion but came to influence more general interactional contexts, which in turn shaped the notion of sincerity itself. Original, erudite and insightful, the book is a landmark that deserves to be read.” (Jonathan Culpeper, Professor of English Language and Linguistics, Lancaster University, UK)