The Laity in the Middle Ages: Religious Beliefs and Devotional Practices

Rating:
Summary: The Laity n the Middle Ages
Review: This history of French and Italian Catholic life in the Middle Ages is not a primer. Knowledge of the historical events of these times is necessary to follow the author and words like, "eschatological", "hagiography"' and "confraternity" will encourage neophytes to keep a dictionary handy. Notwithstanding the advanced knowledge of this subject needed to read the book with ease, it is a good collection of essays on the categories of Catholics during the Middle Ages and the forces and philosophies that characterized these groups. The place and challenges of women in the church during this timeframe is given ample discussion.