Seeing and being seen in the later medieval world

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Pierre J. Payer

The later Middle Ages saw the emergence of an integral theory of human sexuality, a systematic account of its origins, role, and significance in the divine plan. Instead of simply dismissing medieval views of sex as misogynist and guilt-ridden, Pierre Payer urges a re-examination of medieval writers' understanding of sexuality within the context of their cosmological perspective. He traces the developing consensus about what was thought to be the nature, purpose, and morality of sex as conceived by writers and theologians during this period. Concentrating on the positive dimension of medieval thought on sexuality, Payer first examines views on Paradise, the Fall, and original sin and its transmission. There follows an extended discussion of marriage as the sole outlet for legitimate sexual intercourse. He then turns to the broader question of the control of sexual impulses and desires through the virtue of temperance. The book concludes with a description of the virtue of virginity, which was seen to be the apex of temperance and the ideal of Christian living. Payer has assembled a vast number of textual sources from the late medieval period, presenting to the reader a variety of opinions, their development, and underlying presuppositions.

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David A. Fisher

Help students see historical events from Creation to modern times in the light of God's Word. The ministry of the church is emphasized, and politics, economics, and arts and sciences are discussed. The student text presents the hand of God in the affairs of man. Chapter overviews and recaps help identify the main themes. Colorful charts, maps, and illustrations heighten student interest. The Teacher's Edition (which includes usable student pages) develops grade-level-appropriate skills and includes additional information, activities, and special visual aids. - Publisher.

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Shalan Niuman (Sharan Newman) zhu

A medieval scholar examines the historical facts and myths behind the best-selling novel, including discussions on the Templars, the Holy Grail, and the "Apocryphal Gospels."

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Patricia Healy Wasyliw

Martyrdom, Murder, and Magic: Child Saints and Their Cults in Medieval Europe is a comprehensive history of child saints and their cults from late Antiquity to the end of the fifteenth century. The child martyrs of the persecutions, including the Holy Innocents, were the first child saints recognized by the Church, and their cults spread throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages. Alongside these cults, medieval society also venerated child "martyrs," victims of political or domestic violence. The increasing role of the papacy in the canonization process after the tenth century resulted in the veneration of saintly child confessors in the high Middle Ages, but from the end of the twelfth century, most children worshipped as saints were the alleged victims of ritual murder by Jews. This book considers the formation and transformation of child saints and their cults in the context of popular belief and the history of childhood. -- from back cover.