Of the twenty-five essays in this volume, most were published between 1961 and 2013, but four are printed here for the first time. They represent the work of a great and original scholar in Mediterranean history whose unflagging interest in Frederick II and his world consistently led him out into broader fields, which he always viewed in original ways. In an age often called that of papal monarchy and secular-minded rulers, Powell found popes with complex agendas and extensive pastoral concerns, a rather more Christian Frederick II, the human personnel and mechanics of the Fifth Crusade, the sermons of the devout urban layman Albertanus of Brescia, and Muslims under Christian rule. His studies here assert a continuity between the pontificates of Innocent III and Honorius III as well as the pragmatic necessity that only secular rulers could launch and direct crusading expeditions. His interest in the northern Italian communes relates their devotional culture to the ideals of virtuous government and communal identity. The devotional culture of the communes was to be the subject of his next book, now unfinished; several parts of it could be rescued and are now included here.

In this collection of studies by James M. Powell, two related centres of attention can be seen. One is the campaigns undertaken by western Europeans in the eastern Mediterranean, chiefly in the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries - the Crusades - the reasons for them and manner in which they were organized and promoted. The other is the Kingdom of Sicily under Frederick II, himself a Crusader, and its society and economy, including its Muslim population. A characteristic feature is the author's interest in ordinary participants and the attempt to get behind the generalizations of macro-historians to the extent that may be possible.

In 1213, Pope Innocent III issued his letter "Vineam Domini," thundering against the enemies of Christendom--the "beasts of many kinds that are attempting to destroy the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth"--and announcing a General Council of the Latin Church as redress. The Fourth Lateran Council, which convened in 1215, was unprecedented in its scope and impact, and it called for the Fifth Crusade as what its participants hoped would be the final defense of Christendom. For the first time, a collection of extensively annotated and translated documents illustrates the transformation of the crusade movement."Crusade and Christendom" explores the way in which the crusade was used to define and extend the intellectual, religious, and political boundaries of Latin Christendom. It also illustrates how the very concept of the crusade was shaped by the urge to define and reform communities of practice and belief within Latin Christendom and by Latin Christendom's relationship with other communities, including dissenting political powers and heretical groups, the Moors in Spain, the Mongols, and eastern Christians. The relationship of the crusade to reform and missionary movements is also explored, as is its impact on individual lives and devotion. The selection of documents and bibliography incorporates and brings to life recent developments in crusade scholarship concerning military logistics and travel in the medieval period, popular and elite participation, the role of women, liturgy and preaching, and the impact of the crusade on western society and its relationship with other cultures and religions.Intended for the undergraduate yet also invaluable for teachers and scholars, this book illustrates how the crusades became crucial for defining and promoting the very concept and boundaries of Latin Christendom. It provides translations of and commentaries on key original sources and up-to-date bibliographic materials.

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Albertanus of Brescia is an important figure in the cultural history of late medieval and Renaissance Italy. He is best known among literary scholars for the influence of his writings on Brunetto Latini, John Gower, and Geoffrey Chaucer. In addition, his sermons have received attention as part of the history of lay confraternities and lay preaching in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. James M. Powell shows that Albertanus's contributions considerably surpass even these notable attainments.Powell contends that Albertanus was an original social theorist who drew on his experience with religious confraternities and with the law to develop a theory of consent. Albertanus developed the idea that society rested on voluntary acceptance of a rule, much as did religious life. This acceptance laid the foundation for social cohesion and legal enforcement. Albertanus's ideas were to find great prominence in the later Middle Ages. Powell's purpose in writing Albertanus of Brescia goes beyond the study of his eponymous subject. Through Albertanus, Powell examines how major developments of the twelfth century began to find expression in the mind of an early thirteenth-century secular thinker. In Albertanus, Powell perceives an individual bringing received, bookish authority into confrontation with lived experience. To Powell, the example of Albertanus suggests a much more complex picture of medieval approaches to social theory than that previously evident in the literature.This is the first book-length study of Albertanus and his works. It will be of particular interest to students and scholars of medieval, Italian, intellectual, and literary history, and political theory.

Covering Portugal and Castile in the West to the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in the East, this collection focuses on Muslim minorities living in Christian lands during the high Middle Ages, and examines to what extent notions of religious tolerance influenced Muslim-Christian relations. The authors call into question the applicability of modern ideas of toleration to medieval social relations, investigating the situation instead from the standpoint of human experience within the two religious cultures. Whereas this study offers no evidence of an evolution of coherent policy concerning treatment of minorities in these Christian domains, it does reveal how religious ideas and communitarian traditions worked together to blunt the harsh realities of the relations between victors and vanquished. The chapters in this volume include "The Mudejars of Castile and Portugal in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries" by Joseph F. O'Callaghan, "Muslims in the Thirteenth-Century Realms of Aragon: Interactions and Reaction" by Robert I. Burns, S.J., "The End of Muslim Sicily" by David S. H. Abulafia, "The Subjected Muslims of the Frankish Levant" by Benjamin Z. Kedar, and "The Papacy and the Muslim Frontier" by James M. Powell. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Anatomy of a Crusade, 1213-1221 James M. Powell Winner of the John Gilmary Shea Prize of the American Catholic Historical Association "A learned, revisionist history of the Fifth Crusade."--"Speculum" James M. Powell here offers a new interpretation of the Fifth Crusade's historical and social impact, and a richly rewarding view of life in the thirteenth century. Powell addresses such questions as the degree of popular interest in the crusades, the religious climate of the period, the social structure of the membership of the crusade, and the effects of the recruitment effort on the outcome.

Covering Portugal and Castile in the West to the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in the East, this collection focuses on Muslim minorities living in Christian lands during the high Middle Ages, and examines to what extent notions of religious tolerance influenced Muslim-Christian relations. The authors call into question the applicability of modern ideas of toleration to medieval social relations, investigating the situation instead from the standpoint of human experience within the two religious cultures. Whereas this study offers no evidence of an evolution of coherent policy concerning treatment of minorities in these Christian domains, it does reveal how religious ideas and communitarian traditions worked together to blunt the harsh realities of the relations between victors and vanquished.

The chapters in this volume include "The Mudejars of Castile and Portugal in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries" by Joseph F. O'Callaghan, "Muslims in the Thirteenth-Century Realms of Aragon: Interactions and Reaction" by Robert I. Burns, S.J., "The End of Muslim Sicily" by David S. H. Abulafia, "The Subjected Muslims of the Frankish Levant" by Benjamin Z. Kedar, and "The Papacy and the Muslim Frontier" by James M. Powell.

Originally published in 1990.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Deeds of Pope Innocent III, composed before 1210 by an anonymous member of the papal curia, provides a unique window into the activities, policies, and strategies of the papacy and the curia during one of the most important periods in the history of the medieval church. Innocent III, who became pope in 1198 and reigned until 1216, has long been regarded as one of the most important popes in history.
This partial biography covering the first ten years of Innocent's pontificate was written by a cleric close to the pope and familiar with the curia. The translator, James M. Powell, suggests that it was written by the canonist and later cardinal Peter of Benevento. Peter had a profound knowledge of southern Italy and closely followed Innocent's efforts to unify the churches of the East and West and to promote the crusade.
Though the discussion of Roman politics found in these pages is one of the most valuable sources available to us, the work has long been neglected and only recently has begun to receive the attention it deserves. Never before has it been translated into any modern language. It is a treasure of contemporary letters, arranged by the author to reinforce his interpretation of the events discussed. The results are new insights that will inspire both students and scholars.
The translator provides an engaging introduction and adds numerous explanatory notes throughout the book. Those who seek a fuller understanding of the development of the papacy during a period of great change in medieval religious history will find this work essential.
James M. Powell is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at Syracuse University. He is the author or editor of twelvebooks and has published numerous articles. His most recent books include Tolerance and Intolerance: Social Conflict in the Age of the Crusades and Innocent III: Vicar of Christ or Lord of the World? (CUA Press, 1994).

This wide-ranging collection provides important insights into the relationships among diverse groups of peoples in the period from the eleventh to the seventeenth centuries.

This book covers diverse topics such as the treatment of prisoners, the ransom of captives, and the problems faced by many groups during the period of the Crusades. One of the central issues revolves around the attitudes of the participants.

There were significant differences among Latin and Eastern Christians between Christians and Muslims and Christians, Muslims, and Jews. But, too, great overemphasis on the religious roots of intolerance has oversimplified the ways in which ideas of tolerance developed. What is important in these essays is an effort to explore these relationships in their complexity in order to penetrate those generalizations that have often distorted more than enlightened. Tolerance and intolerance therefore are terms that can obscure as much as enlighten.

What the reader discovers in these works -- all written specifically for this volume -- is that these attitudes play an important role in the shaping of international relations. Cross-cultural cooperation was not rare -- not entirely surprising given the diversity of groups involved. This collection brings together an international group of scholars who have made significant contributions to the field. There is no competing collection that deals with such a range of topics.

In this collection of studies by James M. Powell, two related centres of attention can be seen. One is the campaigns undertaken by western Europeans in the eastern Mediterranean, chiefly in the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries - the Crusades - the reasons for them and manner in which they were organized and promoted. The other is the Kingdom of Sicily under Frederick II, himself a Crusader, and its society and economy, including its Muslim population. A characteristic feature is the author's interest in ordinary participants and the attempt to get behind the generalizations of macro-historians to the extent that may be possible.