Church and People in the Medieval West, 900-1200

During the middle ages, belief in God was the single more important principle for every person, and the all-powerful church was the most important institution. It is impossible to understand the medieval world without understanding the religious vision of the time, and this new textbook offers an approach which explores the meaning of this in day-to-day life, as well as the theory behind it. Church and People in the Medieval West gets to the root of belief in the Middle Ages, covering topics including pastoral reform, popular religion, monasticism, heresy and much more, throughout the central middle ages from 900-1200. Suitable for undergraduate courses in medieval history, and those returning to or approaching the subject for the first time.

Chapter 1 Introduction; Part 1 Churches, churchmen and people; Chapter 2 Local churches and their communities; Chapter 3 Bishops, priests and the wider world: The rhetoric and reality of the ‘reforms’; Chapter 4 Monks, nuns, canons and the wider world; Part 2 People and churches; Chapter 5 Pastoral piety: The religious life of the local church; Chapter 6 Ordinary piety: Individual and collective prayer; Chapter 7 Local piety: Saints’ cults and religious movements; Chapter 8 Extraordinary piety: Pilgrimage and the crusades; Part 3 Church and people; Chapter 9 Discipline and belief; Chapter 10 Afterword;

Sarah Hamilton