Pastoral Care and Community in Late Medieval Germany: Albert of Diessen's "Mirror of Priests"

Pastoral Care and Community in Late Medieval Germany explores how local religious culture was constructed in medieval European Christian society through close study of a set of neglected, late fourteenth-century manuscripts. The Mirror of Priests, a pastoral work written by Albert, an Augustinian canon from Diessen, shows how universal religious ideals and laws were adapted, interpreted, and repurposed by those given responsibility to implement them, crafting distinctive, local expressions of Christianity.

Format: Hardback
Length: 234 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Pastoral Care and Community in Late Medieval Germany delves into the intricate construction of local religious culture within medieval European Christian society through a meticulous examination of a collection of neglected late fourteenth-century manuscripts. The Mirror of Priests, a pastoral work authored by Albert, an Augustinian canon hailing from the Bavarian market town of Diessen, serves as a valuable guide for local priests in their interactions with parishioners. Through a comparative analysis of multiple versions of the text in Albert's own hand, Deeana Copeland Klepper highlights how ostensibly universal religious ideals and laws were tailored, interpreted, and repurposed by those tasked with their implementation, resulting in the creation of distinct and localized expressions of Christianity.

The vision of Christian community that emerges from Albert's pastoral guide is one that acknowledges the inherent messiness of everyday life. Albert's imagined parish is defined by geographical and legal boundaries, encompassing property and jurisdictional rights, tithes, and sacramental responsibilities, as well as symbolic realities. By situating the Mirror of Priests within Albert's physical and conceptual spaces, Klepper underscores the centrality of the parish and its community for individuals living under the rubric of Christianity, particularly in rural or remote areas, far from the urban centers.

Klepper's study pivots between the materiality of texts and the sociocultural contexts of an overlooked manuscript tradition, providing fresh insights into the roles of parish priests, the pastoral manual genre, and late medieval religious life. By delving into the nuances of these manuscripts, Pastoral Care and Community in Late Medieval Germany offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between religion, society, and individual experiences during this pivotal period in European history.

Weight: 907g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501766152