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T. F. X. Noble, T. Head /wyd./
Soldiers of Christ
Saints and Saint's Lives from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
The Pennsylvania State University Press 1995
Stron XLIV+383; format: 16x24cm
Książka jest używana. Stan dobry plus.
Soldiers of Christ brings together for the first time in one volume eleven critical writings about the saints from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Each text is newly annotated and prefaced by the editors, and a general introduction on saints and saints' lives makes the volume ideal for students and general readers.
To understand European culture and society in the Middle Ages, it is essential to understand the role of Christianity. And there is no better way to understand that role than to study that religion's greatest human heroes, the saints. For if Christians regarded God as their king, then the saints were the Christian nobility, human members of the divine court. To use one much-repeated phrase, they served as "soldiers of Christ." The purpose of this volume is to present in English translation some of the most significant records of the lives of those people considered to be saints. In exploring these works, the reader will be presented with rich evidence about the development of religion and society in western Europe from the late Roman Empire to the great changes that transformed European society around the year 1000.
Both during their lives and after their deaths, the saints were key members not only of the Christian community but also of Western society as a whole. As soldiers of Christ, saints were given enormous power from God. This power enabled them to cure disease, counter famine, quell storms, extinguish fires, and defeat enemies. Even the prayers of a holy man or woman were believed to be more effective than those of ordinary Christians. After their deaths, saints became residents of the divine kingdom, where they could directly present petitions to God on behalf of the living in order to win favor for them in God's court. The stories in this volume, therefore, are fascinating not only for what they tell us about the saints themselves but also for what they tell us about the men and women who venerated them during this turbulent and formative period in the history of Europe.
Thomas F. X. Noble is Associate Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the author of The Republic of St. Peter: The Birth of the Papal State, 680-825. Thomas Head is Assistant Professor of History at Washington University in St. Louis and the author of Hagiography and the Cult of the Saints: The Diocese of Orleans,[zasłonięte]800-12.
CONTENTS
A Note on the Texts ix
Introduction xiii
The Life of Saint Martin of Tours Sulpicius Severus Translated by F. R. Hoare 1
The Life of Saint Augustine Possidius Translated by F. R. Hoare 31
The Life of Saint Germanus of Auxerre Constantius of Lyon Translated by F. R. Hoare 75
The Life of Saint Boniface Willibald Translated by C. H. Talbot 107
The Hodoeporicon of Saint Willibald Huneberc of Heidenheim Translated by C. H. Talbot
141
The Life of Saint Sturm Eigil Translated by C. H. Talbot 165
The Life of Saint Willibrord Alcuin Translated by C. H. Talbot 189
The Life of Saint Benedict, Abbot of Aniane and of Inde Ardo Translated by Allen Cabaniss
213
The Life of Saint Leoba Rudolf Translated by C. H. Talbot 255
The Life of Saint Willehad Anonymous Translated by Peter J. Potter and Thomas F. X.
Noble 279
The Life of Saint Gerald of Aurillac Odo of Cluny Translated by Gerard Sitwell, O.S.B.
293
Guide to Further Reading 363
Index of Scriptural Citations 371
Subject Index 375
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