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Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (Hist of the Church) (v. 2)
 
 
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Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (Hist of the Church) (v. 2) (Paperback)

by R. W. Southern (Author) "THE history of the Western church in the Middle Ages is the history of the most elaborate and thoroughly integrated system of religious thought and..." (more)
Key Phrases: Middle Ages, Rule of St Benedict, Matthew Paris (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (Hist of the Church) (v. 2) + The Early Church (The Penguin History of the Church) (v. 1) + The Reformation (History of the Church) (v. 3)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The history of the Western church in the Middle Ages is the history of the most elaborate and thoroughly integrated system of religious thought and practice the world has ever known. It is also the history of European society during eight hundred years of sometimes rapid change. This authoritative history shows how the concept of an organized human society, both religious and secular, as an expression of a divinely ordered universe, was central to medieval thought. Professor R. W. Southern's book covers the period from the eighth to the sixteenth century, highlighting the main features of each medieval age and studying the Papacy, the relations between Rome and her rival Constantinople, the bishops and archbishops and the various religious orders in detail, providing a superb study of the period.

About the Author
Sir Richard Southern (1912-2001) was an expert on the medieval church and author of the renowned text, The Making of the Middle Ages. He taught at Oxford and was President of St John's College there. He was knighted in 1974.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (August 16, 1990)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0140137556
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140137552
  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #66,100 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #67 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Church & State
    #69 in  Books > History > Europe > Ireland
    #71 in  Books > History > World > Medieval

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Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (Hist of the Church) (v. 2)
78% buy the item featured on this page:
Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (Hist of the Church) (v. 2) 4.4 out of 5 stars (8)
$11.56
The Early Church (The Penguin History of the Church) (v. 1)
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The Early Church (The Penguin History of the Church) (v. 1) 4.5 out of 5 stars (27)
$10.88
The Making of the Middle Ages
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The Making of the Middle Ages 4.9 out of 5 stars (7)
$18.90
The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine (Penguin Classics)
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The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine (Penguin Classics) 4.4 out of 5 stars (27)
$11.56

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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 (5)
4 star:
 (2)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Church and State in the Middle Ages, February 11, 2001
By "t-hetrick" (Poughkeepsie, NY United States) - See all my reviews
R.W. Southern's book is the second in a series of seven on the history of the Church. It begins with Pope Gregory II in the early eighth century and traces the development of the Church to the beginning of Henry VIII's reign in the early sixteenth century. Southern's emphasis is on the relationship between the Church as a religious institution and the political institutions of the Middle Ages, giving little attention to the Church's spiritual and theological components. The bulk of this volume covers the East-West schism of 1054, the papacy, the archbishops and bishops, and the various religious orders of this period. This book is scholarly in its approach, yet writtten in a very readable style. It gave me a much better understanding of the complex interactions between the Church and state during this period. I can recommend this volume to anyone interested in learning more about this era.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Good book, terrible printing, September 18, 2004
This is a good book, although I would not recommend it as an introduction to the subject. If you're not already familiar with the characters and events to some degree, you'll just be lost, because he doesn't refer to specifics too often. It deals in generalizations and large sweeps. And it's no good for research for the same reason. What it's good for is in helping those of us who already have some familiarity with the subject to see it in a new way, and to draw connections that probably escaped us. The value of the book is in the perspective of an accomplished and perceptive expert that it provides.

Sadly, the quality of the printing in this Penguin edition is absolutely deplorable. It is the worst I have ever seen. It looks like a bad photocopy. Apparently Penguin is too cheap to reset the type, and is using plates that should have been thrown out long ago. Buy a used copy. Don't patronize Penguin for producing such a shoddy product.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb treatment of the subject!, August 26, 2002
By A Customer
What Southern attempts is daunting, to say the least: In 360 pages, he seeks to analyze how the church and society interacted during the entire 700-year period of the Middle Ages. And he has done a superb job of it. His book is comprehenisive without sounding platitudinous nor mired in detail, subtle without being rarefied. Another reviewer criticizes him for not giving enough attention to spiritual and theological aspects of the Middles Ages. The first part of this criticism is flatly false--the spiritual, insofar as they interact with society, abound in the book--and the second part is unwarranted, since Southern states in his first chapter that theological discussion lies outside the purview of the book. The reviewer, however, is correct in saying that it's a highly readable book. If you love church history--or want to learn how it should be written--this is a book you can't miss.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read
I agree with Mr. Schmidt's review in part - this is a fantastic overview to the subject and I learned a great deal in the way of nuance. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Jennifer Spinner

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly written
Richard Southern was knighted in 1975, President of the Royal Historical Society between 1968 and 1972, President of St. Read more
Published 15 months ago by E. R. Gibson

5.0 out of 5 stars The medieval world's cultural upheavals patiently revealed
Southern is a classic guide to cultural change in the Middle Ages. The book exposes a host of social turning points that would reshape Western society for centuries. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Brian Griffith

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly, Well Organized . . . and Enjoyable?
Don't let the title (or Southern's reputation for excellent scholarship for that matter) scare you. This book is a paperback of just over 350 pages, is easy to read, and is very... Read more
Published on June 25, 2007 by Mark Marshall

5.0 out of 5 stars The Highpoint of Civilization?
As readers of my reviews may notice, I am fairly sparing in awarding "5s". These are usually reserved for books which have an unusual impact on me. Read more
Published on May 27, 2007 by James Gallen

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