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A comparative history of heresy in Latin and Greek Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, spanning the fourth to the sixteenth century.
List of contents
Introduction: 'My community will be divided': heresy in the medieval world; 1. Peoples of the book (380-661); 2. Triumphs of orthodoxy (661-1031); 3. The perfect hatred (1031-1209); 4. Cinders and ashes (1209-1328); 5. Purity and peoples (1328-1510); Epilogue; For further reading; Glossary; Index.
About the author
Christine Caldwell Ames received a BA in Russian Studies from Brown University, an MA in Church History from Yale Divinity School, and a PhD in Medieval History from the University of Notre Dame. Her training included coursework and examination fields in heresy and inquisition; medieval Iberia; Islam; medieval Judaism, and interreligious relations in the Middle Ages. Her teaching experience includes courses on medieval history, heresy and orthodoxy, Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Middle Ages, the Crusades, medieval violence, and the history of Christianity. At the University of South Carolina, where she is an associate professor of history, Ames has received the Mortar Board Society's award for teaching. Her first book, Righteous Persecution: Inquisition, Dominicans, and Christianity in the Middle Ages (2009) investigated how friars from the Order of Preachers, the religious order most closely involved with heresy inquisitions, understood that work within their foundational pastoral and apostolic mission. She has received support from the Fulbright Scholar Program (France), the National Endowment of the Humanities, and the Mellon Foundation. Her professional memberships include the Medieval Academy, the American Society of Church History, and the American Academy of Religion. She presently serves on the award committee for the American Historical Association's James Henry Breasted Prize, which is given to the best book of history in any area before the year 1000.
Summary
This advanced undergraduate textbook is the first comparative survey of heresy and its response throughout the medieval world. Spanning England to Persia, it examines heresy, error, and religious dissent - and efforts to end them through correction, persuasion, or punishment - among Latin Christians, Greek Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
Additional text
Advance praise: 'Nothing comparable to the extant literature on Christian heresy exists for the Islamic world, while the terminological controversy – can we speak of 'orthodoxy' in Islam? – adds to the imbalance. With its comparative perspective to the three Abrahamic religions through history and its nuanced discussion of how 'heresy' is constructed and by whom, Caldwell Ames's book is a much welcome contribution that helps promote a better understanding of the Islamic case and provides stimuli for further research.' Maribel Fierro, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
