Roger Bacon and the Defence of Christendom

A revisionist study of Roger Bacon, examining his writings in the context of his commitment to the medieval Church.

Amanda Power (Author)

9780521885225, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 4 October 2012

312 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2 cm, 0.6 kg

'Power's monograph is a well-written account of Roger Bacon's work and thought and suggests an original argument, which opens up the historical dimension and socio-political connections of this important Franciscan thinker. The descriptive character of some sections along with references to contextual evidence will make this book useful reading for both scholars and students in the field.' Barbara Bombi, English Historical Review

The English Franciscan Roger Bacon (c.1214–92) holds a controversial but important position in the development of modern science. He has been portrayed as an isolated figure, at odds with his influential order and ultimately condemned by it. This major study, the first in English for nearly sixty years, offers a provocative new interpretation of both Bacon and his environment. Amanda Power argues that his famous writings for the papal curia were the product of his critical engagement with the objectives of the Franciscan order and the reform agenda of the thirteenth-century church. Fearing that the apocalypse was at hand and Christians unprepared, Bacon explored radical methods for defending, renewing and promulgating the faith within Christendom and beyond. Read in this light, his work indicates the breadth of imagination possible in a time of expanding geographical and intellectual horizons.

Introduction
1. A life in context
2. Traces on parchment
3. From the world to God
4. In defence of Christendom
5. Beyond Christendom.

Subject Areas: Church history [HRCC2], Medieval history [HBLC1], History [HB]