Religion in the Medieval West [Paperback]

Bernard Hamilton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1986 | ISBN-10: 0713164611 | ISBN-13: 978-0713164619 | Edition: 1st Ed.

Western European civilization evolved during the medieval centuries when the whole area was converted to Christianity in its Latin Catholic form. This account is an introduction to the religious life of this formative period--but is concerned less with history of the institutional Church than with the interaction between the Church and lay society. This new edition has been updated throughout, and thoroughly reorganized, making it easier to approach and use. New visual evidence has been provided and a glossary of technical terms is included.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bernard Hamilton is Professor Emeritus of Crusading History at the University of Nottingham. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Education Publishers; 1st Ed. edition (November 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713164611
• ISBN-13: 978-0713164619
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,846,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good general intro to medieval christian beliefs & practices, October 8, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Religion in the Medieval West (Paperback)

The book does not assume a great knowledge of Catholic beliefs, practices and history, although it is written in a scholarly style, and is aimed at University level readers. Within the class of textbooks, it is an easy read, and full of fascinating titbits. Did you know that there were Catholics in China in the 13th century? The book does contain some church history, but is more interested in the beliefs and practices of ordinary people, and their interaction with the church. Highly recommended especially to people interested in everyday medieval life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Resource for Those Interested in the Middle Ages, October 11, 2001

By 

Joelline "joelline" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Religion in the Medieval West (Paperback)

The one essential tool I think those who are seriously interested in the Middle Ages need is a good reference text on Medieval Catholicism. Without a good understanding of the Church and Christendom, there simply cannot be a good understanding of the texts or of the society. Even most contemporary Roman Catholics have forgotten (or never understood) topics such as the medieval concept of sin (mortal, venial, original), monasticism, fasting, the use of psalters, rosaries, breviaries, etc. To fill in the knowledge gaps in these and other areas, I use and strongly recommend this book. I discovered it 8-10 years ago at Cambridge University where it was wildly praised and widely read. It may not be a book you'd want to read straight through (though you could do so because it's not that long), but it is one that you'll want to consult again and again as a reference text.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Religion in the Middle Ages, May 2, 2008

By 

Rebecca Emmons "frog_buddha" (Stillwater, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Religion in the Medieval West (Arnold Publication) (Paperback)

This book was a foundational textbook in a college history course called "Religion and Dissent in the Middle Ages," and it was an eye-opening read. I learned new things on almost every page, and it helped me understand the Middle Ages better, as well as later developments in European history. (I am a history major.) I read these sorts of books for fun, but you may not be the same way.