The Natural and the Supernatural in the Middle Ages: (The Wiles Lectures)
By
Robert Bartlett (Author)
Paperback
In Stock
Quantity
Description
How did people of the medieval period explain physical phenomena, such as eclipses or the distribution of land and water on the globe? What creatures did they think they might encounter: angels, devils, witches, dogheaded people? This fascinating book explores the ways in which medieval people categorized the world, concentrating on the division between the natural and the supernatural and showing how the idea of the supernatural came to be invented in the Middle Ages. Robert Bartlett examines how theologians and others sought to draw lines between the natural, the miraculous, the marvelous and the monstrous, and the many conceptual problems they encountered as they did so. The final chapter explores the extraordinary thought-world of Roger Bacon as a case study exemplifying these issues. By recovering the mentalities of medieval writers and thinkers the book raises the critical question of how we deal with beliefs we no longer share. 13 Halftones, unspecified
About the Author
Robert Bartlett is Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Mediaeval History at the University of St Andrews. His previous publications include The Making of Europe (1993), England under the Norman and Angevin Kings (2000) and The Hanged Man (2004).
More Details
- Contributor: Robert Bartlett
- Imprint: Cambridge University Press
- ISBN13: 9780521702553
- Number of Pages: 182
- Packaged Dimensions: 152x229x10mm
- Packaged Weight: 290
- Format: Paperback
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- Release Date: 2008-03-17
- Series: The Wiles Lectures
- Binding: Paperback / softback
- Biography: Robert Bartlett is Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Mediaeval History at the University of St Andrews. His previous publications include The Making of Europe (1993), England under the Norman and Angevin Kings (2000) and The Hanged Man (2004).
Delivery Options
Home Delivery
Store Delivery
Free Returns
We hope you are delighted with everything you buy from us. However, if you are not, we will refund or replace your order up to 30 days after purchase. Terms and exclusions apply; find out more from our Returns and Refunds Policy.