Corpus Christi: The Eucharist in Late Medieval Culture [Paperback]

Miri Rubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0521438055 | ISBN-13: 978-0521438056

This book studies later medieval culture (c. 1150-1500) through its central symbol: the eucharist. From the twelfth century onward the eucharist was designed by the Church as the foremost sacrament. The claim that this ritual brought into presence Christ's own body, and offered it to believers, underpinned the sacramental system and the clerical meditation upon which it depended. The book explores the context in which the sacramental world was created and the cultural processes through which it was disseminated, interpreted and used. With attention to the variety of eucharistic meanings and practices, the book moves from the "design" of the eucharist in the twelfth century to its redesign in the sixteenth--a story of the emergence of a symbol, its use and interpretation and final transformation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the book provides an exceptionally rich body of material and a spirited statement of a point of view important not just for eucharistic but for religious history generally." The Journal of Religion

"Rubin's is a brilliant attempt to grasp the language of medieval religion that gave meaning to, as well as received meaning from, the culture around it...My brief summary cannot hope to convey the richness of material and interpretation contained in this volume." History

"From time to time one comes across a book like this that has long needed to be written. Rubin...has filled an important gap in the study of the Eucharist. What makes the book so significant is her treatment of the Eucharist in its social, political, economic, and cultural context...the most significant treatment of this subject in the last fifty years." Theological Studies

"...a major and valuable contribution to the field." Sixteenth Century Journal

"...a work of such originality, learning and imagination." Times Literary Supplement

"Waste your time reading fiction, if you want, or dull history. If you want liveliness, pick up this history of eucharistic practice....This is a rich history, enhanced with black-and-white illustrations." Christian Century

"Miri Rubin (lecturer in Medieval History at Oxford) has written a penetrating analysis of the relation between religion and society in the West between 1000 to 1500....Rubin has written a 'tour de force' that is a must for any serious student of the High Middle Ages. This student came away immensely instructed, impressed with the vademecum reference quality of her study of the eucharist -- and with several questions....splendid and insightful study." Thomas Finn, Critical Review

"...the reader will likely find the text rewarding, thought-provoking, and worth the trouble." Keith Killinger, Currents in Theology and Mission

Book Description

The eucharist was designed by the Church as its foremost sacrament in the 12th century. This study explores the context in which it was created and the cultural processes through which it was disseminated, interpreted and transformed through the 16th century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 452 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521438055
• ISBN-13: 978-0521438056
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars History of the Eucharist, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Corpus Christi: The Eucharist in Late Medieval Culture (Paperback)

Rubin consolidates an encyclopedic knowledge of the Eucharist and the rites of the feast of Corpus Christi into a balmy narrative, in this book, now in its sixth printing. The book, undoubtedly a standard in medieval and renaissance history and religion courses, can be viewed more as a textbook on the subject than an engaging read. In constructing her history, and it is extraordinarily intricate, fraught with untimely deaths, expulsions, and papal bulls never circulated, she draws from archival, apocryphal, and secondary sourse material. Considering the task she faced, she succeeds admirably. The reader wanting more will then face the task of combing through her extensive bibliograhy and copious footnotes.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars important ideas, May 20, 2006

By 

williamcompanyman "illum1nated" (Ohio, baby) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corpus Christi: The Eucharist in Late Medieval Culture (Paperback)

There are many important ideas in this book, which almost make it worth reading. Unfortunately, Dr Rubin is one of the worst writers of prose I have ever endured. She prefers fashionable jargon to plain spoken explanations, and if a page will do she writes ten. Where was her editor?