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The Friars: The Impact of the Early Mendicant Movement on Western Society (The Medieval World)

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This book deals with the origins of the Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, and Carmelite friars (along with other minor mendicant orders)
and the foundations of mendicancy. It is a great source of information for investigating the current trends in the church at large in the 12th-14th centuries.

C.H. Lawrence's book THE FRIARS is a good summary of the Mendicant orders who emerged in the late 12th. and 13th. centuries. The book explains why the men and women in the newer Catholic orders emerged from the closter to evagelize and minister to the secular world. Given the contrributions of the Frairs, good historians have expressed their respect to these men and women who emerged from the relisous houses of the Friars work among what they considered their secular brethren regardless if these people were wealthy or not.

Mr. Lawrence records the economic and social changes the occured in Western Eruope starting c. 1050. These changes led to population increases, a gradual increase in prossperity, and a need for religious appeal. This appeal led to the rise of the Mendicant orders who administered to the their secular constituents who thought they were abandoned by the cloistered monks and nuns. The new middle class were dismayed by the the secular clergy including the parish priests who were often poorly educated and incapable to offereng intelligent responses to better educated laity.

St. Francis of Assisi(c. 1182-1226) started the Friars Minor (The Little Brothers) or Franciscans as a charity order. His brothers and sisters did considerable work among the destitute and ill. These Franciscans supervised orphaneges, hospitals, etc. They catered to the hopeless, and they attracted followers not only in Italy but also throughout Europe. The Franciscan men even offered themselves as prisoners of Moslem leaders in exchange for other Catholic prisoners of war.

On the other hand St. Dominic (c.1170-1221) started The Order of Preachers (OPs) or Dominicans as a missionary and teaching order. The Dominicans stressed learning, scholarship, and preaching as an antidote to the Albigensians in Southerm France and Northern Spain. St. Dominic wanted his Dominicans to be learned to gain the respect of laymen and to counter the arguements of heretics. Lawrence gives the Dominicans for their success as both preachers and effective teachers. Devout Catholics should note that St. Dominic is credited with initiating The Rosary and the prayers that are attached to it.

C.H. Lawrence gives lesser known Mendicants credit. For example his book has sections on The Carmelites, The Austin Friars, The Crutched Friars, The Mathurin Frairs, etc. These orders have survived into the 21st. century.

Readers should note that the Me4ndicant orders thrived in urban areas as part of the Medieval economic revival. The Friars knew that many of the indigent and emerging educated middle classes could be approached in the cities while the rural areas were considered "safe" from heresy. The Friars were also atrracted to the universities since their priests and nuns could be educated in the urban schools. This often caused conflict which threatened the status of the Friars who were probably too tough to disappear.

The friars also had crises of conscience with both the Church authorities and the secular authorties. The popes and bishops had no conflict with the desire and enthyusiasm with the friars. However, there were examples of religious frenzy that threatened law-and-order. For example, there were Franciscans called the Zelanti whose religous fanaticism called contracts, social norms, etc. into question. To maintain law-and-order and to avoid chaos, Church authorites were compelled to move against them using both reconciliation and prosectuon ato protect the status quo.

The Friars made significant contributions in the Medieval universities. The secular clergy used university teaching as a career step to enter positions of the Catholic hierarchy such as bishop, archbishop, cardinal. These secular teachers did not stay at the universities, and the frairs filled these positions as careers rather than as "steps on the corporate ladder." The Dominicans were first to get entrenched in the Medieval universities, but the Franciscans were quick to follow. While the secular clergy complained about this, the Medieval popes were quick to protect the friars academic status. One can appreciate and understand the brilliant career of scholastics such as St. Albertus, Magnus, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaveture,etc. if they are aware that that the frairs took teaching more seriously than their secular counterparts. St. Thomas Aquinas did much of philosophical work at the Unversity of Paris, the University of Naples, etc.

Mr. Lawrence includes chapters of the friars on behalf of Medieval monarchs and popes. The Mendicants often offered their loyalty especially to the Catholic Church authorities and were in their service. Medieval monarchs were not slow to appreciate the friars learning and ability and followed suit. Louis IX (1226-1270) especially fond of St. Thomas Aquinas which Mr. Lawrence emphasizes.

C.H. Lawrence's THE FRIARS is a good precis of the Medieval friars. He gives a clearly written account of their achievements and shortcomings. Mr. Lawrence has a good bibliography to attract further reading. Anyone who wants to know the origins of the university as well as the changes in the Medieval Catholic Church would appreciate this book.

Scholarly yet readable, sympathetic yet not uncritical, Lawrence's book provides a concise account not only of the early history of the Friars (Franciscans, Dominicans etc.) but of the history of the western church in the thirteenth century (including the church's missions to such distant places as Beijing). An excellent textbook for students, and an enjoyable read for anyone interested in history.

This is a terrifically written study, which was of great use to me for research, and I can only imagine that for the general reader it would fill in the gaps admirably. So many of the theological imperatives we take as the very landscape of Western culture in fact began with these begging friars. The great thing is that this book allows you to conceptualize how these incipient movements became so influential. I also particularly loved one special detail I learned from this study. Namely that many of the actual classes of the famed University of Paris, forcing ground of the the heights of Catholic theology, for centuries actually took place in taverns [!!] and other unprepossessing spots. In fact, according to the author they continued their tavern classes until fancier digs were constructed around about the 14th Century. I think this this historical tidbit is a great precedent for other tavern- inspired endeavors.