Apostles Of Mediaeval Europe

From the Author's PREFACE: THESE Lives are naturally based, to a considerable extent, on my History of Christian Missions in the Middle Ages, which I have at times been advised to publish in a somewhat more popular form, but the numerous notes and references there given have been omitted, while the Lives themselves have been re-cast, and in some cases entirely re-written. The Mediaeval Period is apt to be altogether overlooked in modern accounts of Christian Missions, and yet it was fertile in noble and heroic men, who laid the foundations of many of the Churches of Modern Europe, and into whose labours we have entered. If we remember to make due allowance for the Age in which they lived, we shall, I think, conclude that the roll of missionary heroes, since the days of the Apostles, can point to few more glorious names than of some of those whose Memoirs are recorded in the following pages.

Biographies of medieval missionary saints.

Excerpt from Missions and Apostles of Medieval Europe For though it may be true that in early times the Teuton knew nothing of temples made with hands, that the Deity, whom no enclosure could contain, or mortal form rep resent, received the adoration of his wor shippers in the obscurity of the wood, or on the lonely mountain-top, yet without doubt the introduction of an elaborate form of polytheism brought with it in time a more elaborate form of external worship. The transition from the sacred oak-grove to the hill altar and the cairn was easy. Equally easy the transition thence to the temple of wood, with its nave and shrine, its holy place, and its holy of holies. In the Norse temples, formed doubtless on a plan common in earlier times, the images of the gods stood on a platform in a shrine. In front of them was the altar, on which burnt the holy fire. Ou it, too, was laid the great ring, which, stained with the sacred blood, was placed in the hand of all such as were about to take any solemn oath. Hard by also was the brazen vessel, in which the blood of the slaughtered victims was caught, and the brush or twig wherewith the worshippers were sprinkled, while they stood behind a partition-wall opposite the platform of the gods, and from this outer court beheld the ceremonies. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This is the first study to examine the rise and fall of a medieval religious group, the Order of Apostles, that began with orthodox support but ended in the fires of heresy. Originating in 1260 in Parma the group was founded by Gerard Segarelli who believed that a life of apostolic poverty was the true path of Christian devotion. Segarelli was initially supported by the Church but as his cohort grew in number and fame he was charged with heresy by the powerful Franciscans, was tried, and burnt as a heretic. The Order's control was assumed by Fra Dolcino who led the Apostles into direct opposition to the Roman Church and was himself executed in 1307. This is an important study presenting new findings in the history of medieval heresy, as well as placing the Order of Apostles within the larger context of political, economic and social history. By examining the rise and fall of the Apostles Pierce shows the dramatic consequences of the transformation of European society during the high Middle Ages.

Over the last twenty years, increasing attention has been given to the interpretation of St. Paul in the Middle Ages. This is one of the first scholarly volumes to look broadly at the understanding and use of Paul in medieval Europe. It focuses not only on the interpretation of the Apostle by patristic and medieval exegetes, but also on the use of his teachings by church reformers, canon lawyers, and spiritual teachers, and his portrayal in art and vernacular literature and culture. By bringing together both exegetical studies of Pauline interpretation with explorations of newer themes, this book provides a more complete view of the medieval Paul than has previously been available. Contributors include Csaba Nemeth, Ian Levy, Thomas Scheck, Joshua Papsdorf, Valerie Heuchan, Ann collins, Lisa Fagin Davis, James Morey, Ken Grant, Colt Anderson, Franklin Harkins, Steven Cartwright, and Aaron Canty.