What impact did the Church have on society? How did social change affect religious practice? Within the context of these wide-ranging questions, this study offers a fresh interpretation of the relationship between Church, society and religion in England across five centuries of change.Andrew Brown examines how the teachings of an increasingly 'universal' Church decisively affected the religious life of the laity in medieval England. However, by exploring a broad range of religious phenomena, both orthodox and heretical (including corporate religion and the devotional practices surrounding cults and saints) Brown shows how far lay people continued to shape the Church at a local level.In the hands of the laity, religious practices proved malleable. Their expression was affected by social context, status and gender, and even influenced by those in authority. Yet, as Brown argues, religion did not function simply as an expression of social power - hierarchy, patriarchy and authority could be both served and undermined by religion. In an age in which social mobility and upheaval, particularly in the wake of the Black Death, had profound effects on religious attitudes and practices, Brown demonstrates that our understanding of late medieval religion should be firmly placed within this context of social change.
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In an age in which social mobility and upheaval, particularly in the wake of the Black Death, had profound effects on religious attitudes and practices, Brown demonstrates that our understanding of late medieval religion should be firmly placed within this context of social change.
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Acknowledgements.- Introduction.- Anglo-Saxon Church and Society c.1000.- The Universal Church and the Laity c.1050-1500.- Saints, Cults and the Holy.- Corporate Religion: Structures and Practices.- Corporate Religion: Death and the Afterlife.- Reforming the 'Inner' Life: Orthodoxy and Heresy.- Conclusion.- Notes.- Further Reading.- Index.
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What impact did the Church have on society? How did social change affect religious practice? Within the context of these wide-ranging questions, this study offers a fresh interpretation of the relationship between Church, society and religion in England across five centuries of change.Andrew Brown examines how the teachings of an increasingly 'universal' Church decisively affected the religious life of the laity in medieval England. However, by exploring a broad range of religious phenomena, both orthodox and heretical (including corporate religion and the devotional practices surrounding cults and saints) Brown shows how far lay people continued to shape the Church at a local level.In the hands of the laity, religious practices proved malleable. Their expression was affected by social context, status and gender, and even influenced by those in authority. Yet, as Brown argues, religion did not function simply as an expression of social power - hierarchy, patriarchy and authority could be both served and undermined by religion. In an age in which social mobility and upheaval, particularly in the wake of the Black Death, had profound effects on religious attitudes and practices, Brown demonstrates that our understanding of late medieval religion should be firmly placed within this context of social change.
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'Brown has got his mind around the issues in current debates and gives thoughtful, balanced and interesting comments. Mastery of the sources and especially secondary literature is shown in the very full and helpful footnotes and bibliography. Altogether recommended for BA and Masters level students.' - Professor Norman Tanner, Gregorian University, Rome
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'Brown has got his mind around the issues in current debates and gives thoughtful, balanced and interesting comments. Mastery of the sources and especially secondary literature is shown in the very full and helpful footnotes and bibliography. Altogether recommended for BA and Masters level students.' - Professor Norman Tanner, Gregorian University, Rome
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A wideranging, thematic study of the relationship between church, religion and society in the Middle Ages Provides a fresh synthesis of some of the main areas of research on the subject Looks at how the expression of religion was affected by such issues as gender, 'class' and politics
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780333691441
Publisert
2003-07-08
Utgiver
Vendor
Red Globe Press
Vekt
485 gr
Høyde
216 mm
Bredde
140 mm
Aldersnivå
UA, UU, 05
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet

Forfatter

Biographical note

ANDREW BROWN is Senior Lecturer in the School of History and Classics at the University of Edinburgh.