Three studies in medieval religious and social thought

This volume of three studies concentrates on the changes in religious thought and institutions in the 11th and 12th centuries, and considers not only monks and nuns but also those involved in less organized types of religious life such as hermits, recluses, crusaders, and penitents. It examines three themes over a long period, from late Antiquity to the 17th century, in order to show how they changed over time. The interpretation of Mary and Martha deals primarily (but not exclusively) with the balance of action and contemplation in Christian life; the ideal of the imitation of Christ studies the growing emphasis on the human Christ, especially His body and wounds; and the orders of society looks at the conceptual divisions of society and the emergence of the modern idea of a middle class.