Religious Enthusiasm in the Medieval West: Revivals, Crusades, Saints

by Gary Dickson

Overview

Collective religious enthusiasm was a surprisingly many-sided, influential and widespread phenomenon in medieval Europe. Amongst the forms it took were remarkable revivalist movements like the flagellants of 1260; popular crusades like the often mythologized ’children’s crusade’ of 1212 and the 'shepherds' crusade’ of 1251; as well as popular excitement involving living saints and their veneration (115 cults in Perugia). This book focuses upon particular thirteenth-century revivals and popular crusades, but does so in order to illuminate the nature of medieval western religious enthusiasm by exploring such topics as crowds, penitential self-laceration, charismatic leaders, prophecy, runaway youths, popular crusading fervour, dreams, and sanctity, male and female. A previously unpublished essay introduces the book, initiating a discussion of religious enthusiasm in the medieval West and the second conversion of Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040234129
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/01/2024
Series:	Variorum Collected Studies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	324

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface; Religious enthusiasm in the medieval West and the second conversion of Europe; Charisma and revivalism in the 13th century; The burning of the Amalricians; The genesis of the Children's Crusade (1212); Stephen of Cloyes, Philip Augustus, and the Children's Crusade of 1212; The Advent of the Pastores (1251); Clare's dream; The Flagellants of 1260 and the Crusades; Master John of Toledo (Tolet) the ’Albus Cardinalis’ (d.1275) in Perugia; St.Juliana's head; and a mid-14th-century calendar from Santa Giuliana di Perugia in the University of Edinburgh Library (EUL.MS.29); The 115 cults of the saints in later medieval and renaissance Perugia: a demographic overview of a civic pantheon; Index.

Editorial Reviews

Religious "enthusiasm," whether medieval popular movements (especially crusades), or revivalism, have provided an ongoing theme in Dickson's (history, U. of Edinburgh) work, as we read in this collection of previously published papers. The topics covered include: medieval revivalism and conversion from 1000-1500, 13th-century charisma and revivalism, the heretical Amalricians and their fate in 13th-century Paris, the Children's Crusade in 1212 (two papers), the 13th-century Shepherd's Crusade, 13th-century reactions to the sanctity of Clare of Assisi, the flagellants of 1260 and the Crusades, and late medieval saints' cults in Perugia (two papers). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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