The English Church In The Fourteenth Century

An outstanding analysis of the governance of the Church in England, its relations with popes and monarchs as well as intellectual life and religious literature - pastoral, moral, mystical. Originally by Cambridge University Press, 1955.

This title was first published in 2000: This second volume of studies by the late Professor Offler looks first at the interaction of the temporal and spiritual powers in Germany, Italy, France and England, especially in the earlier 14th century. A second focus is on the political works of William of Ockham, the editions of which represented a major part of Offler’s work. Particular articles include an examination of the government of late medieval Germany, and the publication of two sermons by Pope Clement VI. The final piece, hitherto unpublished, provides an edition and study of the Latin version of the ’victory sermon’ of Thomas Bradwardine, delivered in late 1346 before Edward III and the English army at the siege of Calais. The introduction, by L.E. Scales, discusses the present state of Offler’s scholarship and is followed by a complete bibliography of his publications.

Pantin's 1955 book focuses on social, political and intellectual aspects of the church in a period of change.

The essays collected here present the fruits of the most recent research on aspects of the history, politics and culture of England during the long' fourteenth century - roughly speaking from the reign of Edward I to the reign of Henry V. Based on a range of primary sources, they are both original and challenging in their conclusions. Several of the articles touch in one way or another upon the subject of warfare, but the approaches which they adopt are significantly different, ranging from an analysis of the medieval theory of self-defence to an investigation of the relative utility of narrative and documentary sources for a specific campaign. Literary texts such as Barbour's Bruce are also discussed, and a re-evaluation of one particular set of records indicates that, in this case at least, the impact of the Black Death of 1348-9 may have been even more devastating than is usually thought. Chris Given-Wilson is Professor of Late Mediaeval History at the University of St Andrews. Contributors: Susan Foran, Penny Lawne, Paula Arthur, Graham E. St John, Diana Tyson, David Green, Jessica Lutkin, Rory Cox, Adrian R. Bell