Back to:
Church History
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Subsections
The Writings of the Early & Medieval Church Fathers
On the Theology, Philosophy & Thought of the Medieval Church
The History & Texts of Christian Councils
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Order of Contents
About
General History
. Brief 12
. In-Depth 13
. On Large Parts of the Middle Ages 2
. Political Theory 7
. The Holy Roman Empire 3
. Byzantine Empire 7
. Special Studies 6
. The Renaissance 7
. Lists of Persons, Dates & Events 2
. Maps 3
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Church History
. Histories 8
. Special Periods 6
. Eastern and Latin Churches 3
. The Papacy 12
. English Church 10
. Patrologies
. Antiquities
. Councils & Creeds 16
Christians Under Islam 23
Bibliographies 11
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About
While the Middle Ages have been popularly known as the Dark Ages for a reason, before the pure light of God’s Word broke forth in more unhindered magnitude and extent during the Reformation, yet the Christian will be edified in reading the stories of many of God’s sincere saints, and their devotion to Him, even in these spiritually trying times.
One also sees in this era the prophesied, development (2 Thess. 2:1-12) of the corruption in the early Church that would insidiously grow into the systemic-apostasy and Great Whore of Revelation (Rev. 17): the Papal Antichrist, arrogantly exalting itself in the place of Christ over his Church and oppressing his people with every deceit, superstition and device born out of the mystery of iniquity.
With a bit of discernment reading these complex times, our faith will be greatly helped in reading of God’s dear saints and how they overcame the world by faith.
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Medieval Church history is sprawling, but this webpage will give you a great foundation for the era and will likely answer most of your questions about it. Most of the resources here are fully and freely available in the public domain.
Our general history section of the era is extensive as the general history of the Middle Ages is largely a history of the Church, or closely related thereto. Likewise, Medieval Church histories often come close to being general histories of the era.
As Early Church history is not always easily distinguished from Medieval Church history for the 500-800 AD time-frame, be sure also to check our page: Early Church History.
For a brief, succinct, sketch of the leading Church history of the Middle Ages (by an Anglican), we would recommend:
Adolphus, O. – ‘Seventh Century’ & ‘Mediaeval Church’ 1865 34 pp. in Compendium Theologicum; or Manual for Students in Theology… intended for those preparing for Theological Examinations, pp. 169-203
Happily, we found that a number of contemporary, scholarly works by Cambridge and Oxford, which are very comprehensive and detailed, are fully available online:
The Oxford History of Medieval Europe 1992 430 pp.
The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1, 2 1960
The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History 1978 580 pp.
The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1 (300-476), 2 (Saracens), 3 (Germany, Western), 4 (Eastern, 717-1453), 5 (Empire vs. Papacy), 6 (Papacy Victory), 7 (Decline of Empire & Papacy), 8 (Close of Middle Ages) 1929
The New Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1 (500-700), 2 (700-900), 3 (900-1024), 4.1 (1024-1198), 4.2 (1024-1198), 5 (1198-1300), 6 (1300-1415), 7 (1415-1500) 2005
The Cambridge Modern History, vol. 1: the Renaissance 1907 845 pp.
ed. Audi, Robert – The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy 1995 910 pp.
We are also pleased to provide a significant section on Christians under Islam. Historically, when extensive lands were conquered through jihad by Islam, both in the Middle Ages and in more modern history, Christians with other non-Muslims, upon principle from the Koran, were subjugated as ‘dhimmi’, an oppressed, second-class citizenship, whose ‘rights’ might be taken away at nearly any moment (especially for frequent and recurring massacres).
We highly recommend the writings of Bat Ye’or, who, with first class scholarship, has brought these issues to light in the modern scene, impartially and with full documentation. Be sure to especially pick up her book:
The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam Buy 1985 440 pp.
While there are forces at play in the modern world affecting Islam which did not exist in centuries past, yet, if consistent history means anything, Muslims predictably, when stirred up, and especially when in power, return to their historic and religious roots. It would be well for you to know what those historic and religious roots are.
May this humble collection of Medieval resources be a blessing to you, and may it in part facilitate the spread of Christ’s spiritual Kingdom throughout the world, as yeast fills a loaf of bread (Mt. 13:33).
General History of the Middle Ages
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Brief General Histories 12
1800’s
Sheppard, John – The Fall of Rome and the Rise of New Nationalities 1861 810 pp. a series of lectures
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1900’s
Bourne, Henry E. – A History of Mediaeval and Modern Europe 1905 560 pp.
Adams, George Burton
Civilization during the Middle Ages, especially in relation to Modern Civilization rev. 1922 470 pp.
Medieval and Modern History, with Maps and Illustrations 1905 535 pp.
Adams was a professor of History at Yale. This is designed to be a textbook.
Dewe, J.A. – Medieval and Modern History: its Formative Causes and Broad Movements, with maps 1907 545 pp.
Davis, H.W.C. – Medieval Europe 1911 265 pp.
Souttar, Robinson – A Short History of the Medieval Peoples, from the Dawn of the Christian Era to the Fall of Constantinople 1912 705 pp.
Thorndike, Lynn – The History of Medieval Europe 1917 740 pp.
A text-book for college students.
Davis, William S. – A History of Mediaeval and Modern Europe for Secondary Schools 1920 660 pp.
Dawson, C. – The Making of Europe 1932 260 pp.
Southern, R.W. – The Making of the Middle Ages Buy 1953 280 pp.
“Impressive, especially on the 11th century.” – Owen Chadwick
Keen, Maurice – The Pelican History of Medieval Europe 1969 350 pp.
ed. Previte-Orton
The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1, 2 1960
The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History 1978 580 pp.
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In-Depth General Histories 12
1700’s
Gibbon, Edward – The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1782 6 vol. ed. Scroll down the page a way where there is a full table of contents with links. For Christianity during this period, see especially chs. 37 (Conversion of Barbarians) & 51 (Christians under Islam) The history goes up through the close of the 1500’s.
Invaluable material from a classic, though Gibbon was anti-Christian. The scope of the work is so broad that it is practically a general history of the Middle Ages.
“Unsurpassed in the skillful use of sources and artistic composition, but skeptical and destitute of sympathy with the genius of Christianity.” – P. Schaff
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1800’s
Hallam, Henry – View of the State of Europe During the Middle Ages, vol. 1, 2 1882
Emerton, Ephraim
An Introduction to the Study of the Middle Ages (375-814) 1889 310
Emerton was a professor of history at Harvard.
Mediaeval Europe (814-1300) 1896 650 pp.
The Beginnings of Modern Europe (1250-1450) 1917 585 pp.
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1900’s
ed. Johnson, A.H. – Six Ages of European History from AD 476 to 1878 1909 in 6 vols.
Masterman, J. Howard – The Dawn of Mediaeval Europe, 476-918 305 pp.
Lees, Beatrice – The Central Period of the Middle Age 320 pp.
Lodge, Eleanor – The End of the Middle Age, 1273-1453 335 pp.
Fletcher, Charles R. – The Making of Western Europe, being an attempt to Trace the Fortunes of the Children of the Roman Empire, vol. 1 (The Dark Ages, 300-1000), 2 (The First Renaissance, 1000-1190) 1912
Reads in a popular vein.
Young, G.F. – East and West Through 15 Centuries, being a General History from 44 BC to AD 1453, vol. 1 (44 BC-395 AD), 2 (395-750) 1916 It appears that volumes 3 & 4 never reached the press.
Coulton, G.G. – Life in the Middle Ages, vol. 1, 2, 3-4 1928
The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1 (300-476), 2 (Saracens), 3 (Germany, Western), 4 (Eastern, 717-1453), 5 (Empire vs. Papacy), 6 (Papacy Victory), 7 (Decline of Empire & Papacy), 8 (Close of Middle Ages) 1929
Coulton, G.G. – Five Centuries of Religion, vol. 1 (1000-1200), 2 (1200-1400), 3, 4 (Last Days of Medieval Monachism) 1929
Holmes, George – The Oxford History of Medieval Europe 1992 430 pp.
Southern, R.W. et al. – The Story of the Middle Ages, 5 vols. Buy 1998
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2000’s
The New Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1 (500-700), 2 (700-900), 3 (900-1024), 4.1 (1024-1198), 4.2 (1024-1198), 5 (1198-1300), 6 (1300-1415), 7 (1415-1500) 2005
Periods of European History, 8 vols.
Oman, Charles – The Dark Ages, 476-918 1903 545 pp.
Tout, T.F. – The Empire and the Papacy, 918-1273 1921 535 pp.
Lodge, R. – The Close of the Middle Ages, 1273-1494 1902 605 pp.
Epochs of Modern History
Church, R.W. – The Beginning of the Middle Ages 1895 290 pp.
Johnson, A.H. – The Normans in Europe 1896 320 pp.
Cox, George W. – The Crusades 1874 240 pp.
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On Large Parts of the Middle Ages 2
Curteis, Arthur – History of the Roman Empire, from the Death of Theodosius the Great to the Coronation of Charles the Great, AD 395-800, with maps 1875 340 pp.
Hodgkin, T. – Italy and her Invaders, vol. 1 (376-476, Visigothic Invasion), 2 (376-476, Hunnish & Vandal Invasions), 3 (476-535, Ostrogothic Invasion), 4 (535-553, Imperial Restoration), 5 (553-600, Lombard Invasion), 6 (600-744, Lombard Kingdom), 7 (744-774, Frankish Invasions) 1916
“In spite of its restricted title, this work is practically a general history of Europe from the 4th to the 9th century.” – Paetow
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Political Theory 7
Shorter Accounts
McIlwain, C.H. – Chs. 5-6 of The Growth of Political Thought in the West 1956 212 pp.
Sabine, G.H. – Chs. 10-17 of A History of Political Theory 1951 150 pp.
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One Volume
Gierke, Otto – Political Theories of the Middle Age 1900 260 pp.
Kern, Fritz – Kingship and Law in the Middle Ages 1939 235 pp.
Ullmann, W. – Medieval Papalism: the Political Theories of Medieval Canonists Buy 1949 256 pp. Routledge Library Editions: Political Science, Vol. 36
Tellenbach, G. – Church, State and Christian Society at the Time of the Investiture Contest Buy 1959 220 pp.
The Investiture Controversy was one of the major turning points of the Middle Ages.
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In-Depth
Carlyle, R.W. & A.J. – A History of Mediaeval Political Theory in the West, vol. 1 (100’s-800’s), 2 (900’s-1200’s), 3 (900’s-1200’s), 4 (900’s-1100’s), 5 (1200’s), 6 (1300-1600) 1970
“The standard exposition.” – Owen Chadwick
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The Holy Roman Empire
Bryce, James – The Holy Roman Empire 1876 510 pp.
“This is the best book on the subject in any language.” – Louis Paetow
Bury, .B. – A History of the Later Roman Empire, from Arcadius to Irene, vol. 1, 2
Fisher, Herbert – The Medieval Empire, vols. 1, 2 1898
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The Byzantine Empire 7
Works
Finlay, George – History of the Byzantine Empire from 716-1453, vol. 1 (716-1057), 2 (1058-1453) 1853
Oman, C.W.C. – The Byzantine Empire 1908 385 pp.
Foord, Edward – The Byzantine Empire: the Rearguard of European Civilization 1911 515 pp.
Baynes, N.H.
The Byzantine Empire 1926
Byzantium: an Introduction to East Roman Civilization 1948 500 pp. Oxford
Vasiliev, Alexander – History of the Byzantine Empire, 324-1453 1958 640 pp.
Vasilev (1867–1953) was considered the foremost authority on Byzantine history and culture in the mid-20th century. His work remains one of a few comprehensive accounts of the entire Byzantine history, on the par with those authored by Edward Gibbon and Fyodor Uspensky.
“…from the original work in Russian of the history of the Great Byzantine Empire. It is the most complete and thorough work on this subject. From it we get a wonderful panorama of the events and developments of the struggles of early Christianity, both western and eastern, with all of its remains of the wonderful productions of art, architecture, and learning.” – Southwestern Journal of Theology
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Bibliography
Paetow, Louis – ‘The Byzantine Empire’ in A Guide to the Study of Medieval History, pp. 66-67
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Special Studies 5
Munro & Sellery – Medieval Civilization: Selected Studies from European Authors 1904 400 pp. 33 studies
Hill, David – A History of Diplomacy in the International Development of Europe, vol. 1, the Struggle for Universal Empire, 2, the Establishment of Territorial Sovereignty, 3, the Diplomacy of the Age of Absolutism 1905
Woolley, Reginald – Coronation Rites 1915 235 pp.
The Inquisition
Lea, H.C. – A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, vol. 1, 2, 3 1888
Turberville, A.S. – Medieval Heresy and the Inquisition 1920 275 pp.
Maycock, A.L. – The Inquisition from its Establishment to the Great Schism: an Introductory Study 1927 320 pp.
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The Renaissance 7
1900’s
The Cambridge Modern History, vol. 1: the Renaissance 1907 845 pp.
Battifol, Louis – The National History of France: the Century of the Renaissance 1916 460 pp.
Durant, Will – The Renaissance: a History of Civilization in Italy from 1304-1576 1953 840 pp.
Lucki, Emil – The History of the Renaissance, vol. 1, 2 (Church & Religion), 3, 4, 5 (Politics & Political Theory) 1963
ed. Grendler, Paul – Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, 6 vols. Buy 1999
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2000’s
Johnson, Paul – The Renaissance: a Short History 2000 210 pp
Johnson is a popular journalist and writer in history.
ed. Najemy, John – Italy in the Age of the Renaissance, 1300-1550 2004 340 pp. in The Short Oxford History of Italy
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Lists of Persons, Dates & Events
Thorndike, Lynn – ‘Chronological Table’ in The History of Medieval Europe 1917
‘Appendices’ 1960 20 pp. in The Shorter Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 2, pp. 1123 ff.
Includes lists of: Roman Emperors, Byzantine Emperors, German Kings & Holy Roman Emperors, Popes & Leading Events.
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Maps
McClure, Edmund – Historical Church Atlas 1897 195 pp.
“The best general atlas for the use of students in schools and undergraduates in college.” – Paetow, 1917
The Cambridge Medieval History Maps, vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 1911
Shepherd, William – Historical Atlas 1911 320 pp.
Church History
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Church Histories
Brief Sketch
Adolphus, O. – ‘Seventh Century’ & ‘Mediaeval Church’ 1865 34 pp. in Compendium Theologicum; or Manual for Students in Theology… intended for those preparing for Theological Examinations, pp. 169-203
Excellent succinct summary of some leading themes in the Middle Ages by an Anglican.
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1800’s
Workman, Herbert – The Foundation of Modern Religion: A Study in the Task and Contribution of the Medieval Church 1862 255 pp.
Trench, R.C. – Lectures on Medieval Church History 1879 465 pp.
Hurst, John F. – Short History of the Medieval Church 1887 130 pp.
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1900’s
Deanesly, Margaret – A History of the Medieval Church, 590-1500 Buy 1954 285 pp.
Baldwin, Marshall – The Medieval Church (the Development of Western Civilization) Buy 1970
“This collection contains documents in English which illustrate Christian life during four periods: the early patristic age, the Carolingian era, the tenth through mid-twelfth centuries, the high middle ages (1150-1300). Each section presents material on a wide range of topics of interest to the student, and brief bibliographies are provided for further study. An index of subjects and personalities is provided.” – G.E. & Lyn Gorman
Bainton, Roland
The Medieval Church 1979 198 pp.
Early and Medieval Christianity Buy 1962 261 pp.
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Special Periods 6
to the 1200’s
Carwithen & Lyall – The Christian Church from the Fourth to the Twelfth Century 1856 320 pp.
Bell, Kenneth – Mediaeval Europe: a Text-Book of European History, 1095-1254 1911 280 pp.
Flick, Alexander – The Rise of the Mediaeval Church and its Influence on the Civilisation of Western Europe from the First to the Thirteenth Century 1909 640 pp.
1200-1500
Workman, Herbert
The Dawn of the Reformation, vol. 1 (Wycliff), 2 (Hus) 1901
John Wyclif: a Study of the English Medieval Church, vol. 1, 2
Huizinga, J. – The Waning of the Middle Ages: a Study of the Forms of Life, Thought and Art in France and the Netherlands in the 14th and 15th Centuries 1922 360 pp. Penguin Books
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History of the Eastern and Latin Churches
Histories of the Eastern and Latin Churches
Workman, Herbert – The Church of the West in the Middle Ages, vols. 1, 2 1900
Lagarde, Andre – The Latin Church in the Middle Ages 1915 620 pp. trans. Archibald Alexander
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The Papacy 12
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia 1907-1912
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General Works
Kidd, B.J. – The Roman Primacy to AD 461 Buy 1936
Kidd (1864–1948) was an Anglican priest and historian.
Ullmann, W. – The Growth of Papal Government in the Middle Ages 1955
Creighton, Mandell – A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 1904
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Lives & Histories of the Popes
von Ranke, Leopold – The History of the Popes during the Last Four Centuries, vol. 1 (0-1500), 2 (1589-1870), 3 (1450-1780) The title refers to the emphasis on 1450-1870, though a synopsis is given of their whole history from the 1st century
von Ranke (1795–1886) was a German historian who was one of the most important historians of the 1800’s, due especially to his modern, source-based method.
Bower, Archibald – The History of the Popes, vol. 1 (33-700), 2 (701-1264), 3 (1265-1844) 1844 Continued from 1758-1844 by Samuel H. Cox.
Bower (1686–1766) was a Scottish historian of varying faith.
Pastor, Ludwig – A History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages, 5 vols. 1898 ff. The volumes of the 40 vol. set are searchable here.
“Pastor had materials which Creighton [above] lacked, but Creighton is sometimes curiously preferable.” – Owen Chadwick
Mann, Horace – The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, 18 vols. 1902 ff.
“Goes from 590-1304. Not critical enough, but using good materials.” – Owen Chadwick
Duchesne, L. – The Book of the Popes, to the Pontificate of Gregory I 1916 200 pp.
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Special Topics
Gregorovius, Ferdinand – History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, vol. 1, 2 (568-800), 3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 (1200-1260), 5.2 (1260-1305), 6.1 (1305-1354), 6.2 (1355-1420), 7.1 (1421-1496), 7.2 (1497-1503), 8.1, 8.2 1894
“Vigorous, readable, one-sided.” – Owen Chadwick
Duchesne, L. – The Beginnings of the Temporal Sovereignty of the Popes 1908 320 pp.
Lunt, W.E. – ‘The Financial System of the Medieval Papacy in the Light of Recent Literature’ 1934 43 pp.
Tierney, Brian – Foundations of the Conciliar Theory; the Contribution of the Medieval Canonists from Gratian to the Great Schism 1968 290 pp.
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The Western Schism
The Western Schism of 1378 to 1417 is when the Roman Catholic Church had 3 competing popes. This is not to be confused with the ‘Great Schism’ of 1054 which divided the Eastern Church from the Western Church, though people have sometimes used interchangeable names.
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Salembier, L. – The Great Schism of the West 1907 420 pp.
Salembier was a Roman Catholic professor.
Locke, Clinton – The Ages of the Great Western Schism 1897 320 pp. in Eras of the Christian Church
Ullmann, Walter – The Origins of the Great Schism: a Study in Fourteenth Century Ecclesiastical History 1910 270 pp.
Jordan, G.J. – The Inner History of the Great Schism of the West: a Problem in Church Unity 1930 210 pp.
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Bibliography
Of Primary Sources
Paetow, Louis – ‘The Papacy’ in A Guide to the Study of Medieval History, pp. 94-95
Of Secondary Sources
Paetow, Louis – ‘The Medieval Papacy’ 1917 in A Guide to the study of Medieval History, pp. 48-49
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The English Church 10
Williams, Hugh – Christianity in Early Britain 1912 490 pp.
Hunt, William
The English Church: From Its Foundation to the Norman Conquest (597-1066) 1912 440 pp.
The English Church in the Middle Ages 1888 220 pp. in Epochs of Church History
Stephens, W.R.W. – The English Church from the Norman Conquest to the Accession of Edward I, 1066-1272 1904 365 pp.
Capes, W.W. – A History of the English in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries 1900 405 pp.
Brooke, Z.N. – The English Church and the Papacy, from the Conquest to the Reign of John 1931 260 pp.
Del Mar, Alexander – The Middle Ages Revisited, or the Roman Government and Religion and their Relations to Britain 1900 405 pp.
Manning, Bernard – The People’s Faith in the Time of Wyclif 1919 215 pp.
Abram, A. – English Life and Manners in the Later Middle Ages 1913 430 pp.
Coulton, G.G.
Social Life in Britain from the Conquest to the Reformation 1918 565 pp.
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Patrologies
Patrologies are works that give bios of the prominent saints. Many patrologies do not reach into the Middle Ages, but a number of these do.
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Antiquities
Smith, W. & Cheetham, S. – A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities… from the time of the Apostles to the age of Charlemagne, vol. 1 (A-J), 2 (K-Z) 1908
Most of the other Works of Antiquities are geared around the early Church, but you can check those as well.
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Councils & Creeds
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Christians under Islam
We highly recommend the works of Bat Ye’or, 1985 ff. below, as they are the best on the subject.
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Primary Sources
Examples
‘Islam and the Jews: The Status of Jews and Christians in Muslim Lands, 1772 CE’ Internet Medieval Sourcebook at Fordham University
ed. Gottheil, Richard – ‘An Answer to the Dhimmis’ 1292 from Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 41, 1921 70 pp.
Gottheil gives an introduction to the document, reproduces it in Arabic, and then provides a translation on p. 416 ff.
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Testimony
ed. Muir, William – The Apology of Al Kindy, written at the Court of Al Mamun, AD 830, in Defence of Christianity Against Islam 1882 95 pp.
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The Crusades
ed. de Joinville, John – Chronicles of the Crusades, being Contemporary Narratives… 1848 570 pp.
“The present volume comprises the three most interesting contemporary chronicles of the crusades which have been handed down to us…” – Preface
Hallam, Elizabeth – Chronicles of the Crusades: Eye-Witness Accounts of the Wars Between Christianity and Islam 2000 400 pp.
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Secondary Literature
Articles & Chapters
1700’s
Gibbon, Edward – chs. 51-52, ‘Conquests by the Arabs; State of the Christians under their Government’ of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1782
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1900’s
Gottheil, Richard J.H. – ‘Dhimmis and Moslems in Egypt’ 1908 64 pp. in Old Testament and Semetic Studies in Memory of William Rainey Harper, vol. 2, pp. 351-414 ed. Harper, Brown, Moore
Cambridge – Chs. 10-12 of The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 2, pp. 302-390 1913 82 pp.
Affected by the turn to a more positive view of Islam in the early 1900’s amongst academia. Pp. 329-330 lays out the author’s historiographical perspective.
ed. Hastings, James – Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics 1918/21
Informative, though overly positive.
Tritton, A.S. – ‘Islam and the Protected Religions’ in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No. 2 (Apr., 1931), pp. 311-338
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2000’s
Ye’or, Bat – ‘Dhimmitude Past and Present: An Invented or Real History?’ 2002
Stillman, Norman – ‘Dimma’ in Medieval Islamic Civilization: an Encyclopedia, vol. 1, A-K 2006 Vol. 2 is not online, except in preview form on GB
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Books
1800’s
Haines, C.H. – Christianity and Islam in Spain, 756-1031 1889 185 pp.
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1900’s
Wherry, E.M. – Islam and Christianity in India and the Far East 1906-7 240 pp. Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary
“The papers published in this volume… sum up the results of many years of study in connection with missionary work in India… these chapters show that in Islam, preaching and teaching normally follow upon the heels of the invading Moslem army, and on the other hand that the preaching of Islam invariably calls in the aid of the secular power.
We also learn how very difficult it is for a church once made subject to the Moslem conqueror to exert any active influence for the evangelization of its Moslem neighbors.” – Preface
Tritton, A.S. – The Caliphs and their Non-Muslim Subjects: a Critical Study of the Covenant of ‘Umar [AD 637] 1930 250 pp.
Browne, L.E. – The Eclipse of Christianity in Asia from the time of Muhammad till the Fourteenth Century 1933 Buy Cambridge
Stillman, Norman – Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book Buy 1979 474 pp.
Ye’or, Bat
The Dhimmi: Jews and Christians under Islam Buy 1985 440 pp.
‘Dhimmi’ is the historical term for the second-class citizenship of non-Muslims living in Muslim lands. Yeor’s works contain first class scholarship and impartially relate from the primary sources what it was like for Christians and Jews to live under Islamic rule, and the various laws and living conditions, or lack thereof, that applied to them.
Bat Ye’or, or ‘Daughter of the Nile’, is the pseudonym, of a woman who grew up in Egypt as a British citizen and observed first hand the Islamic treatment of non-Muslims.
Part of the Preface by Jacques Ellul:
“…The reader will see that in many ways the dhimmi was comparable to the European serf of the Middle Ages… the dhimmi: his status was not the product of historical accident but was that which ought to be from the religious point of view and according to the Muslim conception of the world. In other words, it was the expression of the absolute, unchanging, theologically grounded Muslim conception of the relationship between Islam and non-Islam… One must know as exactly as possible what the Muslim did with these unconverted conquered peoples, because that is what they will do in the future (and are doing right now)…
But precisely what seems to me interesting and striking about Islam, one of its peculiarities, is the fixity of its concepts… Wherever the social organization is based upon a system, it tends to reproduce itself far more exactly…
For the conquering Islam of today, those who do not claim to be Muslims do not have any human rights recognized as such…
..although we perceive a very great diversity in the reality of the dhimmi’s existence, this in no way changed the identical and profound reality of his condition. The second argument put forward by our critic was that the ‘persecutions’ to which the dhimmi was subjected had been greatly exaggerated. He spoke of ‘a few outbursts of popular anger,’… the ‘few’ outbursts, in fact, were historically very numerous and massacres of dhimmis were frequent. Nowadays we ought not to overlook the considerable evidence (which was formerly overstressed) of the slaughter of Jews and Christians in all the countries occupied by the Arabs and Turks, which recurred often…
…The Muslim world has not evolved in its manner of considering the non-Muslim, which is a reminder of the fate in store for those who may one day be submerged within it.”
The Decline of Eastern Christianity under Islam: from Jihad to Dhimmitude: Seventh to Twentieth Century Buy 1996
Islam and Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide Buy 2001
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2000’s
ed. Thomas, David – Syrian Christians under Islam 2001 240 pp. Brill
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Bibliographies
Thompson, James W. – ‘Mohammed and the Rise of the Arab Empire’ 1907 2 pp. in Reference Studies in Medieval History, pp. 39-40
Peters, Rudolph – Jihad in Medieval and Modern Islam Buy 1977 90 pp. Brill
“Provides a bibliography of translations of classical sources on the jihad.” – Bat Ye’or
Gouryh, Admer – ‘Syrian Christianity Under Islam: Bibliography’ n.d. American Foundation for Syriac Studies
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Video, True Account
Time Of Violence: The True Story How European Christians Lived Under Islam And Turks, part 1, 2 1988 a Bulgarian film with subtitles in English
“Based on eyewitness written accounts. In the 17th century, a Bulgarian
Christian region is selected by the Ottoman rulers to serve as an example of conversion to Islam. A Janissary who was kidnapped from the village as a boy now serving the Ottoman sultan is sent to force the reluctant inhabitants to convert. The Bulgarian christians have to chose between physical annihilation and losing their spiritual identity. Ultimately torture, violence, and rebellion break out. Based on real events and the novel “Time of Parting” (Vreme Razdelno) by Anton Donchev…
The novel is based on two individual eyewitness written accounts – by the priest Aligorko and the Venetian. The resulting text is a translation of the original French and Old Bulgarian (Old Church Slavonic) texts. All names, characters and events appear in the original manuscripts.”
Viewer Discretion: Contains a brief scene of child nudity, women almost naked (i.e. cleaning/bathing), rape scenes, violent scenes of torture (e.g. poles being hammered through a living man from bottom up, etc).
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Bibliographies of Primary Sources
Books
ed. Paetow, Louis – Guide to the Study of Medieval History 1917
”Source Books’: Short Selections from the Sources for Schools’
‘Large Collections of Original Sources’
Works referenced before or about 1930 can usually be found at Internet Archive.
ed. Farrar & Evans – Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources Buy 1964
“…for its time an exhaustive effort…” – Bradley & Muller
Ferguson, Mary Anne – Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources, 1943-67 Buy 1975 274 pp.
Continues Farrar and Evans work.
Boyle, Leonard – A Survey of the Vatican Archives and of its Medieval Holdings Buy 2001
Bradley, James & Muller, Richard – Church History: An Introduction to Research Methods and Resources Buy 2nd ed. 2015 293 pp. The 2nd edition is necessary for the internet resources.
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Website
‘Introduction to Medieval Studies Resources’ at Stanford
“Ferguson in turn as been continued online at Stanford University’s Medieval Studies site… and arguably students ought to begin with the resources at this well-maintained and often updated site.” – Bradley & Muller
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Bibliographies on the Middle Ages 14
1800’s
Sonnenschein, William – pp. 53-55 of The Best Books: a Reader’s Guide 1891
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1900’s
Thompson, James W. – Reference Studies in Medieval History 1907 130 pp.
Davis, H.W.C. – ‘Note on Books’ 1911 2 pp. in Medieval Europe, pp. 255-6
Paetow, Louis – A Guide to the Study of Medieval History 1917 580 pp.
This is one of the “General resources that all researchers in medieval studies ought to be familiar with…” – Bradley & Muller
Davis, Ralph Henry – Medieval European History, 395-1500: a Select Bibliography Buy 1968 48 pp.
“…provides narrative commentary on some 600 items in twenty-two sections, none of which is devoted more than marginally to ecclesiastical topics.” – G.E. & Lyn Gorman
The Cambridge Medieval History – ‘List of Bibliographies’ in vol. 1 (300-476), 2 (Saracens), 3 (Germany, Western), 4 (Eastern, 717-1453), 5 (Empire vs. Papacy), 6 (Papacy Victory), 7 (Decline of Empire & Papacy), 8 (Close of Middle Ages) 1929
Harvard University – General European and World History: Classification Schedule, Classified Listing by Call Number, Chronological Listing, Author and Title Listing Buy 1970 959 pp.
“This 959 page bibliography lists some 37,000 titles on world history and the history of Europe in general. Scholarly journals are included. The whole field form medieval to modern times is covered. This is suitable primarily for those unfamiliar with the range of titles available in history. Especially noteworthy for church historians is the section on the crusades.” – G.E. & Lyn Gorman
Stokes, Lawrence – Medieval and Reformation Germany (to 1648) Buy 1972
“Aimed particularly at students limited to works in English, this narrative bibliography treats some 1400 books and articles on Germany. The sic main sections cover bibliographies… Most of the works discussed are major scholarly or reference volumes plus key survey articles. An author index is provided. This is an excellent starting point for the beginner.” – G.E. & Lyn Gorman
Univ. N.C. at Chapel Hill – Medieval and Renaissance Studies: A Location Guide to Selected Works and Source Collections in the Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Buy 1974
Constable, Giles – Medieval Monasticism: a Select Bibliography Buy 1976 198 pp.
“This bibliography of some 1000 books and articles provides a broad overview of medieval monasticism by subject. Coverage includes history, economics , daily life, rules, government, education and related topics. The annotations are brief and factual. Constable is suitable for beginning students of monastic life and history.” – G.E. & Lyn Gorman
Crosby, Bishko & Kellogg – Medieval Studies: A Bibliographical Guide Buy 1983 1,131 pp.
“Of continued usefulness in all fields…” – Bradley & Muller
Boyce, Gray – Literature of medieval history, 1930-1975: A supplement to Louis John Paetow’s A Guide Buy 1986 2,630 pp.
This is one of the “General resources that all researchers in medieval studies ought to be familiar with…” – Bradley & Muller
ed. Brady, Heiko, Tracy – Handbook of European History, 1400-1600: Late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation, 2 vols. Buy 1994-5
“The Later Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation are well covered…” – Bradley & Muller
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2000’s
Bradley, James & Muller, Richard – Church History: An Introduction to Research Methods and Resources Buy 2nd ed. 2015 293 pp. The 2nd edition is necessary for the internet resources.
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Bibliographies on the Renaissance
‘Bibliographies’ in The Cambridge Modern History, vol. 1: the Renaissance 1907
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Related Pages