Overview

The essays in this volume re-examine two major medieval turning points in the relationship between rich and poor: the revolution in charity of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and the era of late medieval crises when the vulnerability of the poor increased dramatically and charitable generosity often declined. Drawing on a variety of sources from England, France, the Low Countries, Italy, and Iberia, the contributors to this volume add new perspectives on the agency of the poor, the influence of gendered forms of devotion, parallels in Christian and Jewish representations of the deserving and undeserving poor, and the effect of mendicant piety on the status of the involuntary poor. A broader implication of the volume as a whole is that medieval studies of poverty and wealth need to pay more attention to the role of rulers, ruling elites, and public policy in shaping the experiences of the poor.

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9782503555478

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"""The range of topics within this collection speaks remarkably well to each other. Especially well grounded in social history, this volume will nevertheless be of interest to scholars interested in all aspects of medieval poverty. The authors and editor are to commended for their contributions to the discipline."" --Charlotte A. Stanford, Brigham Young University, The Medieval Review 17.04.10"

The range of topics within this collection speaks remarkably well to each other. Especially well grounded in social history, this volume will nevertheless be of interest to scholars interested in all aspects of medieval poverty. The authors and editor are to commended for their contributions to the discipline. --Charlotte A. Stanford, Brigham Young University, The Medieval Review 17.04.10

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