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War and the Making of Medieval Monastic Culture (Paperback)
Loot Price: R707
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War and the Making of Medieval Monastic Culture (Paperback)
Series: Studies in the History of Medieval Religion
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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The monastic life, traditionally considered as an area of
withdrawal from the world, is here shown to be shaped by metaphors
of war, and to be actively engaged with battle in the world
outside. An extremely interesting and important book... makes an
important contribution to the history of medieval monastic
spirituality in a formative period, whilst also fitting into wider
debates on the origins, development and impactof ideas on crusading
and holy war. Dr William Purkis, University of Birmingham Monastic
culture has generally been seen as set apart from the medieval
battlefield, as "those who prayed" were set apart from "those
whofought". However, in this first study of the place of war within
medieval monastic culture, the author shows the limitations of this
division. Through a wide reading of Latin sermons, letters, and
hagiography, she identifies a monastic language of war that
presented the monk as the archetypal "soldier of Christ" and his
life of prayer as a continuous combat with the devil: indeed,
monks' claims to supremacy on the spiritual battlefield grew even
louder asChurch leaders extended the title of "soldier of Christ"
to lay knights and crusaders. So, while medieval monasteries have
traditionally been portrayed as peaceful sanctuaries in a violent
world, here the author demonstrates thatmonastic identity was
negotiated through real and imaginary encounters with war, and that
the concept of spiritual warfare informed virtually every aspect of
life in the cloister. It thus breaks new ground in the history of
European attitudes toward warfare and warriors in the age of the
papal reform movement and the early crusades. Katherine Allen Smith
is Assistant Professor of History, University of Puget Sound.
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