Medieval Christianity in Practice

Published by Princeton University Press 2009

Medieval Christianity in Practice

Edited by: Miri Rubin

Volume 32 in the series Princeton Readings in Religions

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400833771

Overview
Contents

About this book

Medieval Christianity in Practice provides readers with a sweeping look at the religious practices of the European Middle Ages. Comprising forty-two selections from primary source materials--each translated with an introduction and commentary by a specialist in the field--the collection illustrates the religious cycles, rituals, and experiences that gave meaning to medieval Christian individuals and communities.

This volume of Princeton Readings in Religions assembles sources reflecting different genres, regions, and styles, including prayer books, chronicles, diaries, liturgical books, sermons, hagiography, and handbooks for the laity and clergy. The texts represent the practices through which Christians conducted their individual, family, and community lives, and explores such life-cycle events as birth, confirmation, marriage, sickness, death, and burial. The texts also document religious practices related to themes of work, parish life, and devotions, as well as power and authority. Enriched by expert analysis and suggestions for further reading, Medieval Christianity in Practice gives students and general readers alike the necessary background and foundations for an appreciation of the creativity and multiplicity of medieval Christian religious culture.

Author / Editor information

"Miri Rubin is professor of medieval and early modern history at Queen Mary, University of London. Her books include Mother of God: A History of the Virgin Mary, The Hollow Crown: A History of Britain in the Late Middle Ages, and Corpus Christi: The Eucharist in Late Medieval Culture.

Reviews

"[T]his volume lends itself to use in undergraduate courses that deal with medieval religious practice, including western civilization and medieval surveys, as well as religious studies courses. Graduate students also will gain insights into the range of sources that can be deployed for the investigation of religious practice in medieval Europe."---David Stewart Bachrach, H-Net Reviews

"The organization of this collection and the underlying approach are innovative and judicious. This book provides an insightful and interconnected vision of medieval religious practices."—Teofilo F. Ruiz, University of California, Los Angeles

"This unique book re-creates the practical and imaginative experiences of medieval parishioners, from cradle to grave. This is of compelling interest to historians, religious specialists, and students of literature, for we see here multifarious attempts to reach ordinary people through their own language. We also see the church at work all across Europe, celebrating its saints, discouraging dissidence, and providing for those who would live perfectly. Highly recommended."—David Wallace, University of Pennsylvania

"The variety of informative texts and the expertise of the people commenting on them give this stimulating anthology great authority. There is no rival collection that gathers so many experts on medieval religion in one place."—John Shinners, Saint Mary's College

"Whether the reader is a long-term student of the Middle Ages or a novice in the field, he or she will find this a unique and informative book, one which stimulates the mind and the imagination with the complexity and richness of medieval religious practice."---Sarah Adams, Christianity and Literature

"The volume provides an excellent introduction to the wide variety of Western medieval religious practice."---Margaret Cormack, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture

"A very useful scholarly resource."

"This book is a valuable collection of small studies. It is well-prepared and well-edited, designed for use in courses or seminars. It is full of anecdotes, rituals, and insights that are interesting in themselves and that cumulatively give a sense of the variety and richness of medieval Christian life."---Michael G. Witczak, Worship

"[This book] may be especially useful in graduate seminars or as an aid to graduate training where the emphasis on manuscript sources may enrich the experience of students. . . . [I]n consideration of the fine group of contributors, it deserves serious consideration."---James M. Powell, Catholic Historical Review

"Editor Rubin and contributors offer a richly textured presentation of the practice of medieval Christianity from about 600 to 1500 CE. Each of the 42 sections comprises excerpts from medieval texts, selected, translated, and commented upon by specialists in the field."

"This book offers a unique presentation of the actual practices of medieval Christianity. It will greatly interest medieval religion scholars and serve as a marvelous supplement for courses on the Middle Ages or medieval religion. General readers will find the documents and scholarly discussions fascinating glimpses into the everyday workings of the period."—Steven Fanning, University of Illinois, Chicago

"One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2010"

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Princeton Readings in Religions Publicly Available Download PDF	v
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Contributors Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Introduction Miri Rubin Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
The Life Cycle: Baptism
1. Baptismal Practice in Germany Peter Cramer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	7
2. Cathars and Baptism Shulamith Shahar Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	14
The Life Cycle: Confirmation and Coming of Age
3. The Early Medieval Barbatoria Yitzhak Hen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	21
The Life Cycle: Instruction
4. Lollard Instruction Rita Copeland Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	27
The Life Cycle: Marriage and Its Unmaking
5. Florentine Marriage in the Fifteenth Century Christiane Klapisch-Zuber Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	35
6. Annulment of Henry III’s “Marriage” to Joan of Ponthieu Confirmed by Innocent IV on 20 May 1254 David d’Avray Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	42
The Life Cycle: Death and Burial
7. Agius of Corvey’s Account of the Death of Hathumoda, First Abbess of Gandersheim, in 874 Frederick S. Paxton Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	53
8. A Royal Funeral of 1498 Alain Boureau Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	59
Work and Travel
9. Charms to Ward off Sheep and Pig Murrain William C. Jordan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	67
10. Fishermen and Mariners Harold S. Fox Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	76
11. Storms at Sea on a Voyage between Rhodes and Venice, November 1470 Olivia Remie Constable Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	81
12. Rules and Ritual on the Second Crusade Campaign to Lisbon, 1147 Susanna A. Throop Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	86
Churches, Parishes, and Daily Life: Consecration
13. The Consecration of Church Space Dominique Iogna-Prat Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	95
Churches, Parishes, and Daily Life: Pastoral Care
14. Fourteenth-Century Instructions for Bedside Pastoral Care Joseph Ziegler Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	103
15. How to Behave in Church and How to Become a Priest Daniel Bornstein Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	109
Churches, Parishes, and Daily Life: Preaching
16. A Sermon on the Virtues of the Contemplative Life Katherine L. Jansen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	117
17. Preaching and Pastoral Care of a Devout Woman (deo devota) in Fifteenth-Century Basel Hans-Jochen Schiewer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	126
Churches, Parishes, and Daily Life: Confession and Penance
18. Doing Penance Sarah Hamilton Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	135
19. A Penitential Diet Rob Meens Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	144
20. A Layman’s Penance Joseph Goering Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	151
Churches, Parishes, and Daily Life: Prayer
21. Prayers Virginia Reinburg Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	159
22. Two Healing Prayers Eamon Duffy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	164
Churches, Parishes, and Daily Life: Devotional Behavior
23. Images in the World: Reading the Crucifixion Sara Lipton Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	173
Healing
24. The Old English Nine Herbs Charm Debby Banham Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	189
25. Amulets and Charms Peter Murray Jones Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	194
Charity
26. A Deaf-Mute’s Story Sharon Farmer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	203
27. Bequests for the Poor Brigitte Resl Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	209
The Cult of Saints and Pilgrimage
28. Translation of the Body of St. Junianus Thomas Head Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	217
29. Pilgrimage and Spiritual Healing in the Ninth Century Julia M. H. Smith Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	222
In Pursuit of Perfection: In the World
30. Interrogation of Waldensians Peter Biller Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	231
31. The Lives of the Beghards Walter Simons Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	238
32. The Renovation of the Chapel in the Beguinage of Lille Penny Galloway Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	246
33. The Practices of Devotio moderna John Van Engen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	256
In Pursuit of Perfection: Prophecy, Revelation, and Ecstatic States
34. The Possession of Blessed Jordan of Saxony Aviad M. Kleinberg Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	265
35. On the Stigmatization of Saint Margaret of Hungary Gábor Klaniczay Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	274
36. Eschatological Prophecy: “Woe to the World in One Hundred Years” Robert E. Lerner Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	285
37. Raymond de Sabanac, Preface to Constance de Rabastens, The Revelations Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	290
In Pursuit of Perfection: At the Edge of the World
38. The Life of the Hermit Stephen of Obazine György Geréby and Piroska Nagy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	299
39. Creating an Anchorhold Alexandra Barratt Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	311
40. The Ritual for the Ordination of Nuns Nancy Bradley Warren Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	318
Rituals of Power
41. An Anglo-Saxon Queen’s Consecration Janet L. Nelson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	327
42. Mass at the Election of the Mayor of London, 1406 Caroline Barron Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	333
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	339