Belief and Culture in the Middle Ages

Belief and Culture in the Middle Ages

Author: Richard Gameson

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2001-04-12

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0191543039

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Are there angels within spitting distance of men? What did Pope Gregory the Great think of pagans? Were the monks of Battle compulsive forgers? Is temptation always a bad thing? These and many other fascinating questions are explored in this book. Commisssioned in honour of the distinguished medieval historian, Henry Mayr-Harting and reflecting the range and focus of its honorand's interests, the twenty-five essays provide a panoramic and stimulating exploration of the interrelated fields of belief and culture in the middle ages. Sanctity and sacred biography, seduction and temptation, forgery and litigation, patronage and art production, conversion and oppression were all part of the rich fabric of medieval Christian culture that is scrutinized here. Individually the studies shed new light on a series of key issues and questions relating to the cultural, religious, and political history of the sixth-century church, of Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, and of Carolingian, Ottonian, and Investiture Contest Europe; while collectively they illuminate the interaction of Christianity and politics, of secular and sacred, and of belief and culture from late antiquity to the thirteenth century.


Readers, Texts and Compilers in the Earlier Middle Ages

Readers, Texts and Compilers in the Earlier Middle Ages

Author: Martin Brett

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-05-15

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1351906704

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Reflecting the focus but also range of their honorand's work in medieval canon law in the era before Gratian, the essays in this volume explore the creation and transmission of canonical texts and the motives of their compilers but also address the issues of how the law was interpreted and used by diverse audiences in the earlier middle ages, with especial focus on the eleventh and early twelfth centuries. These issues have lain at the heart of Linda Fowler-Magerl's distinguished body of scholarly work on judicial ordines and procedural literature, on the transmission of canonical texts and their formal sources before Gratian, and perhaps most especially her pioneering role in the creation of a database of canon law manuscripts before Gratian now published as Clavis canonum. Linda Fowler-Magerl's work has fundamentally transformed our understanding of canonistic activity in the era before Gratian and its reception across the Church throughout Europe. Individually the scholars whose studies are included in this volume offer new viewpoints on several key issues and questions relating to the creation of canonical texts, the concerns of their compilers and the transmission of their work, as well as the use of such texts by readers with the most various interests in the period. As a whole, the volume contributes to an understanding of the increasing importance of the written law for a far wider circle than Roman reformers and local advocates. These issues are especially highlighted by the editors' introduction.


Early Medieval Britain, c. 500–1000

Early Medieval Britain, c. 500–1000

Author: Rory Naismith

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-07-15

Total Pages: 493

ISBN-13: 1108341543

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Early medieval Britain saw the birth of England, Scotland and of the Welsh kingdoms. Naismith's introductory textbook explores the period between the end of Roman rule and the eve of the Norman Conquest, blending an engaging narrative with clear explanations of key themes and sources. Using extensive illustrations, maps and selections from primary sources, students will examine the island as a collective entity, comparing political histories and institutions as well as societies, beliefs and economies. Each chapter foregrounds questions of identity and the meaning of 'Britain' in this period, encouraging interrogation and contextualisation of sources within the framework of the latest debates and problems. Featuring online resources including timelines, a glossary, end-of-chapter questions and suggestions for further reading, students can drive their own understanding of how the polities and societies of early medieval Britain fitted together and into the wider world, and firmly grasp the formative stages of British history.