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Summary
Summary
"Because conversion gets to the question of how societal change occurs not merely in individuals but in groups, these essays make a valuable contribution to a topic that has generally been treated only in a narrow context. . . . The essays on women and conversion make an especially valuable contribution to the ongoing discussion of women's role in religion."--James M. Powell, Syracuse University
"James Muldoon has clearly identified an important, neglected area in medieval studies. . . . Well written and informative. . . . Should pique the interest of future scholars."--Julian Wasserman, Loyola University of New Orleans
Contributors describe the wide range of religious experiences characteristic of the conversion of Europe to Christianity in the Middle Ages. From St. Augustine, the model of personal experience, to the conversion of entire societies--like the Saxons in the eighth century or the Lithuanians in the thirteenth--to the role of women in conversion, they examine one of the most important aspects of the spiritual transformation of Europe during the Middle Ages.
CONTENTS
Introduction: The Conversion of Europe, by James Muldoon
Conversion as Personal Experience
1. Augustine: Conversion by the Book, by Frederick H. Russell
2. Monastic Conversion: The Case of Margaret Ebner, by Leonard P. Hindsley O.P.
Conversion, Christianization, Acculturation
3. "For Force Is Not of God?" Compulsion and Conversion from Yahweh to Charlemagne, by Lawrence G. Duggan
4. The Conversion of the Physical World: The Creation of a Christian Landscape, by John M. Howe
Women in Conversion History
5. Gender and Conversion in the Merovingian Era, by Cordula Nolte
6. God and Man in Medieval Scandinavia: Writing--and Gendering--the Conversion, by Ruth Mazo Karras
7. Marriage and Conversion in Late Medieval Romance, by Jennifer R. Goodman
Conversion on the Eastern Frontiers of Christendom
8. Bargaining for Baptism: Lithuanian Negotiations for Conversion, 1250-1358, by Rasa Mazeika
9. Conversion vs. Baptism? European Missionaries in Asia in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, by James D. Ryan
Jews, Muslims, and Christians as Converts
10. From Jew to Christian? Conversion and Perceptions of Immutability in Medieval Europe, by Jonathan M. Elukin
11. Multidirectional Conversion in the Frankish Levant, by Benjamin Z. Kedar
James Muldoon is professor of history at Camden College of Rutgers University and author of "The Americas in the Spanish World Order "(1994).
Reviews (1)
Choice Review
These interesting, informative, and well-written essays shed light on a much-neglected aspect of medieval life and thought. Covering the fourth to the 14th centuries, the contributors not only describe the wide range of religious conversions, from the personal experience of Augustine to the conversion of whole peoples like the Saxons in the eighth century and the Lithuanians in the thirteenth, but also discuss the role of women, missions to China in the 14th century, the conversion of Arian Christians to Catholicism, conversions by force, and the role of shrines in the sacralization of the landscape. Included also are discussions of the spiritual transformation fostered by the monastic life, the low status of Jews even after their adoption of Christianity, and the conversion and reconversion of Muslims, Christians, and Jews during the crusades. This collection is a valuable resource for upper-division undergraduates and beyond. Notes, but no bibliography. Muldoon (history, Camden College of Rutgers Univ.) is author of Popes, Lawyers, and Infidels (CH, Mar'80). P. L. Urban Jr. emeritus, Swarthmore College
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. vii |
| Introduction: The Conversion of Europe | p. 1 |
| Part I Conversion as Personal Experience | p. 11 |
| 1 Augustine: Conversion by the Book | p. 13 |
| 2 Monastic Conversion: The Case of Margaret Ebner | p. 31 |
| Part II Conversion, Christianization, Acculturation | p. 47 |
| 3 "For Force Is Not of God"? Compulsion and Conversion from Yahweh to Charlemagne | p. 49 |
| 4 The Conversion of the Physical World: The Creation of a Christian Landscape | p. 63 |
| Part III Women in Conversion History | p. 79 |
| 5 Gender and Conversion in the Merovingian Era | p. 81 |
| 6 God and Man in Medieval Scandinavia: Writing--and Gendering--The Conversion | p. 100 |
| 7 Marriage and Conversion in Late Medieval Romance | p. 115 |
| Part IV Conversion on the Eastern Frontiers of Christendom | p. 129 |
| 8 Bargaining for Baptism: Lithuanian Negotiations for Conversion, 1250-1358 | p. 131 |
| 9 Conversion Vs. Baptism? European Missionaries in Asia in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries | p. 146 |
| Part V Jews, Muslims, and Christians as Converts | p. 169 |
| 10 From Jew to Christian? Conversion and Immutability in Medieval Europe | p. 171 |
| 11 Multidirectional Conversion in the Frankish Levant | p. 190 |
| Contributors | p. 201 |
| Index | p. 203 |