Bridging the Medieval-Modern Divide ─ Medieval Themes in the World of the Reformation

This collection of eight historical essays investigates the contentious divide between the medieval and early modern period in Europe. They collectively challenge strict schema of periodization and show that the Reformation was less of a radical break with the medieval world tout court than with only specific parts of it, such as scholastic theology. In this sense, they consider both how early moderns depended on medieval concepts and how the medieval period was already more modern than a radical break suggests. The focus on "the world of the reformation" is reflected in the collection's recurring themes of religious toleration, otherness in religion, religious ideas about poverty and welfare, the concept of purgatory and the development of capitalism, but also how Reformers seeking legal independence from the papacy would lay the juridical foundations of the modern world of states and international law. Medievalist James Muldoon (history, Rutgers U.) offers an editorial introduction, while early modern historian Paul Monod reflects on the significance of the medieval-modern divide and its subversion. The contributors are medievalists who came up with the idea for this collection while fellows at The John Carter Brown Library. There is no index. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)