An expansive guide to the medieval world; with new attention to women; ordinary parishioners; attitudes toward Jews and Muslims; and more For many; the medieval world seems dark and foreign—an often brutal and seemingly irrational time of superstition; miracles; and strange relics. The aggressive pursuit of heretics and attempts to control the “Holy Land†might come to mind. Yet the medieval world produced much that is part of our world today; including universities; the passion for Roman architecture and the development of the gothic style; pilgrimage; the emergence of capitalism; and female saints. This new narrative history of medieval Christianity; spanning the period 500 to 1500 CE; attempts to integrate what is familiar to readers with new themes and narratives. Elements of novelty in the book include a steady focus on the role of women in Christianity; the relationships among Christians; Jews; and Muslims; the experience of ordinary parishioners; the adventure of asceticism; devotion; and worship; and instruction through drama; architecture; and art. Madigan expertly integrates these areas of focus with more traditional themes; such as the evolution and decline of papal power; the nature and repression of heresy; sanctity and pilgrimage; the conciliar movement; and the break between the old Western church and its reformers. Illustrated with more than forty photographs of physical remains; this book promises to become an essential guide to a historical era of profound influence.
#215733 in Books imusti 2015-10-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.62 x 6.12l; .0 #File Name: 0300205600672 pagesYALE UNIVERSITY PRESS ACADEMIC
Review
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy lanxtonWonderful4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A New Look at Racial History in the United States and the WorldBy Tyler DudleyI went to seminary in the 1960's and had considerable involvement in the racial issues and struggles of that time. I have also known about Reconstruction and some of the early leaders of what eventually became the Civil Rights Movement in this country. I learned some about W.E.B Dubois. However; I believe that Professor Gary Dorrien's new book; "The New Abolition and the Black Social Gospel"; tells much about the early Civil Rights leaders; especially Dubois; that before only scholars have known. The portrait that Dorrien paints of Dubois is of a truly great man whose qualities of courage; fairness; integrity; spirituality and intelligence have not always been the popular view. Dorrien's research is exhaustive and the book is packed with information that; at least to this reader; was new and exciting. Dorrien has helped fill a number of gaps that have existed in our popular understanding of the period after Reconstruction and the next few decades that paved the way for Dr. Martin Luther King; Jr. and others. I highly recommend "The New Abolition" for those looking for a fuller understanding of the long road; not yet finished; of Black peoples' struggle and race relations in this country and beyond.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Important historical gap filledBy Rudy Nelson"The arc of the moral universe is long;" said Martin Luther King; Jr.; "but it bends toward justice." While most of us take those words as a hopeful sign for the future; Gary Dorrien's book reminds us of a fact that King; of all people; knew very well: there wouldn't have been a civil rights revolution in the 1960s without the Black Social Gospel of earlier generations. But there has never been a full account of that movement. With his expertise in both social ethics and liberal theology; Dorrien is the ideal person to fill that gap.It's a great story but a troubling one as well. Many segments of post-Civil War America; hell-bent on preventing the thousands of freed slaves and their descendants from realizing the full potential of their human rights and responsibilities; imposed a fearful price on all resistors. In a wise and shrewd move; Dorrien makes W.E.B. Dubois; no Social Gospeler himself by any means; a lynch-pin of the movement. According to Dorrien; Dubois "changed the conversation;" framing the persistent "debate over the future of black Americans."With over 500 pages of text; plus 55 pages of notes; The New Abolition isn't a book to be read casually. But it's well worth coming back to again and again.
