Thomas of Cantimpré

Download or read book Thomas of Cantimpré written by Thomas (de Cantimpré) and published by Brepols Publishers. This book was released on 2008 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Medieval saints' lives have only recently begun to be studied for what they say about the society in which they were written rather than as examples of medieval religious belief. The four lives translated here are the work of a Flemish monk of the thirteenth century, Thomas of Cantimpre. These lives demonstrate the variety of definitions of holiness in the Low Countries at this time. Three of the four tell of holy women, only one of whom, Lutgard of Aywieres, was a professed nun. The lives show Thomas' respect and admiration for the women he knew and the influence that holy laywomen had. Newman (English, Northwestern University) sets the stage on which Thomas acted, explaining in clear prose, the background to the stories and giving a biography of Thomas. Both Newman and King are well known for their scholarship on medieval women and for their lucid and accurate translations. This work is highly accessible and would be excellent for classroom use, especially the section on Christina the Astonishing, which would intrigue both historians and psychiatrists. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)