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Royal Books and Holy Bones: Essays in Medieval Christianity
Royal Books and Holy Bones Essays in Medieval Christianity Author:Eamon Duffy In 1992, Eamon Duffy created a sensation in Reformation studies by publishing his groundbreaking book The Stripping of the Altars. In it he demonstrated the health of late medieval religion in England and that the thesis hitherto accepted that the Reformation came to wipe away a corrupt and rotten Church was essentially false. In this f... more »ollow-up Duffy makes further soundings in late medieval religion, but drills down to the particular and avoids any wide historical sweep. Among the topics he covers are the fear of death and the impact of devastating pandemic, holy war against Islam and the invention of the blood libel against the Jews, provision for the afterlife and the continuing power of the dead over the living, the meaning of pilgrimage and the evolution of Christian music. Duffy unpicks the stories of the Golden Legend and Yale University's mysterious Voynich manuscript, discusses the cult of 'St.' Henry VI and explores childhood in the Middle Ages. "This book is illustrated by a small collection of full color plates which further demonstrate the richness of late medieval religion.« less