An evaluation of Emperor Louis the Pious' reign which examines Louis' public penance of 833.

An up-to-date overview of the functions and contexts of penance in medieval Europe, revealing the latest research and interpretations.

"Explores the role of the sacrament of penance in the religion and society of early modern Spain. Examines how secular and ecclesiastical authorities used confession to defend against heresy and to bring reforms to the Catholic Chiurch"--Provided by publishers.

Lent is a sacred time of the year. On the surface, many cringe at the thought of Lent approaching, but deep down, faithful Christians anticipate this holy time with hopefulness that it will produce good fruit in their lives. Recall Jesus saying, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14). Entering through that “narrow gate” is a path that requires resolve and sacrificial love. In order to take that constricted and challenging road, we must face difficult aspects of our lives, including our sins. The purpose of this book is to offer meditations for the Lenten season that are based on Jesus’ forty days in the desert. The reflections for the traditional forty days of Lent begin with Jesus' forty days in the desert and include the seven capital sins and events of Holy Week. In addition, separate reflections for every Sunday of Lent are included.

Far from the oral society it was once assumed to have been, early medieval Europe was fundamentally shaped by the written word. This book offers a pioneering collection of fresh and innovative studies on a wide range of topics, each one representing cutting-edge scholarship, and collectively setting the field on a new footing. Concentrating on the role of writing in mediating early medieval knowledge of the past, on the importance of surviving manuscripts as clues to the circulation of ideas and political and cultural creativity, and on the role that texts of different kinds played both in supporting and in subverting established power relations, these essays represent a milestone in studies of the early medieval written word.