Back to:
Church History
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Subsections
Writings of Early & Medieval Church Fathers
Medieval Theology & Philosophy
Medieval Theologies
History & Texts of Christian Councils
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Order of Contents
About
General History
. Brief 12
. In-Depth 13
. Large Parts of Middle Ages 2
. Political Theory 7
. Holy Roman Empire 3
. Byzantine Empire 7
. Special Studies 6
. Renaissance 7
. Lists: Persons, Dates & Events 2
. Maps 3
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Church History
. Histories 8
. Special Periods 6
. Eastern & Latin Churches 3
. Papacy 12
. English Church 10
. Patrologies
. Antiquities
. Councils & Creeds 16
. Canon Law 4
Christians Under Islam 23
Latin 2
Biblios 12+
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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’ in Compendium Theologicum; or Manual for Students in Theology… intended for those preparing for Theological Examinations (1865), 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 & 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).
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General History of the Middle Ages
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Brief General Histories 12
Books
1800’s
Sheppard, John – The Fall of Rome & 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 & Modern Europe (1905) 560 pp.
Adams, George Burton
Civilization during the Middle Ages, especially in relation to Modern Civilization rev. ed. (1922) 470 pp.
Medieval & Modern History, with Maps & Illustrations (1905) 535 pp.
Adams was a professor of History at Yale. This is designed to be a textbook.
Dewe, J.A. – Medieval & Modern History: its Formative Causes & 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 & 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
Books
1700’s
Gibbon, Edward – The History of the Decline & 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 pp.
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, 6 vols. (1909)
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 (Dark Ages, 300-1000), 2 (First Renaissance, 1000-1190) (1912)
Reads in a popular vein.
Young, G.F. – East & 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
Up to 800
Books
1800’s
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.
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1900’s
Hodgkin, T. – Italy & 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
Articles
1900’s
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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Books
1900’s
Gierke, Otto – Political Theories of the Middle Age (1900) 260 pp.
Kern, Fritz – Kingship & 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 & 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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Multi-Volume
1900’s
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
Books
1800’s
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 (1889)
Fisher, Herbert – The Medieval Empire, vols. 1, 2 (1898)
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The Byzantine Empire 7
Books
1800’s
Finlay, George – History of the Byzantine Empire from 716-1453, vol. 1 (716-1057), 2 (1058-1453) (1853)
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1900’s
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 (Oxford: 1948) 500 pp.
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
Article
Paetow, Louis – ‘The Byzantine Empire’ in A Guide to the Study of Medieval History, pp. 66-67
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Special Studies 5
Book
Munro & Sellery – Medieval Civilization: Selected Studies from European Authors (1904) 400 pp. 33 studies
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Diplomacy
Book
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)
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Coronation Rites
Book
Woolley, Reginald – Coronation Rites (1915) 235 pp.
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The Inquisition
Books
1800’s
Lea, H.C. – A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, vol. 1, 2, 3 (1888)
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1900’s
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
Books
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 in The Short Oxford History of Italy (2004) 340 pp.
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Lists of Medieval Persons, Dates & Events
1900’s
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
1800’s
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
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1900’s
The Cambridge Medieval History Maps, vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (1911)
Shepherd, William – Historical Atlas (1911) 320 pp.
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Church History
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Church Histories
Articles
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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Books
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 & Medieval Christianity Buy (1962) 261 pp.
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Special Periods 6
to the 1200’s
Books
1800’s
Carwithen & Lyall – The Christian Church from the Fourth to the Twelfth Century (1856) 320 pp.
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1900’s
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.
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1200-1500
Books
1900’s
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 (1926)
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 (Penguin, 1922) 360 pp.
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History of the Eastern & Latin Churches
RBO Webpage Section
Histories of the Eastern & Latin Churches – Early Church
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Books
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. tr. Archibald Alexander
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The Papacy 12
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-1912)
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Books
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)
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Multi-Volume
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
1800’s
von Ranke, Leopold – The History of the Popes during the Last Four Centuries, vol. 1 (0-1500), 2 (1589-1870), 3 (1450-1780) (London: Bell, 1913) 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
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1900’s
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
City of Rome
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
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Financial
Lunt, W.E. – ‘The Financial System of the Medieval Papacy in the Light of Recent Literature’ (1934) 43 pp.
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Temporal Sovereignty
Duchesne, L. – The Beginnings of the Temporal Sovereignty of the Popes (1908) 320 pp.
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Conciliar Theory
Tierney, Brian – Foundations of the Conciliar Theory; the Contribution of the Medieval Canonists from Gratian to the Great Schism (1968) 290 pp.
Conciliarism holds that a general council has authority apart from and over the Pope, and is the supreme earthly authority in the Church.
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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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Books
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
Article
Paetow, Louis – ‘The Papacy’ in A Guide to the Study of Medieval History, pp. 94-95
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Of Secondary Sources
Article
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
Whole Period
Books
1800’s
Hunt, William – The English Church in the Middle Ages (1888) 220 pp. in Epochs of Church History
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1900’s
Del Mar, Alexander – The Middle Ages Revisited, or the Roman Government & Religion & their Relations to Britain (1900) 405 pp.
Williams, Hugh – Christianity in Early Britain (1912) 490 pp.
Coulton, G.G.
Social Life in Britain from the Conquest to the Reformation (1918) 565 pp.
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Special Periods
Up to 1100
Hunt, William – The English Church: From Its Foundation to the Norman Conquest (597-1066) (1912) 440 pp.
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1000-1300
Stephens, W.R.W. – The English Church from the Norman Conquest to the Accession of Edward I, 1066-1272 (1904) 365 pp.
Brooke, Z.N. – The English Church & the Papacy, from the Conquest to the Reign of John (1931) 260 pp.
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1300’s
Manning, Bernard – The People’s Faith in the Time of Wyclif (1919) 215 pp.
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1300-1500
Capes, W.W. – A History of the English in the Fourteenth & Fifteenth Centuries (1900) 405 pp.
Abram, A. – English Life & Manners in the Later Middle Ages (1913) 430 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
Books
1900’s
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 collected at RBO are geared around the early Church, but you can check those as well.
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Councils & Creeds
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On Canon Law
History
Books
1900’s
Ullmann, W. – Medieval Papalism: the Political Theories of Medieval Canonists in Routledge Library Editions: Political Science, vol. 36 Buy (1949) 256 pp.
Tierney, Brian – Foundations of the Conciliar Theory; the Contribution of the Medieval Canonists from Gratian to the Great Schism (1968) 290 pp. ToC
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Latin Articles
1600’s
Voet, Gisbert – Ecclesiastical Politics (Amsterdam: Waesberge, 1663)
vol. 1, pt. 1, bk. 1, Tract 2, Of the Power, Polity & Canons of the Churches
8. Of Ecclesiastical Canons, Decrees, Ordinances and Custom. 254
. Custom 261
9. Some Thesis Questions about Ecclesiastical Canons are Explained. 262
10. Contains Chronicles of Some Questions, even General and Particular. 272
11. Contains Questions on Ecclesiastical Decrees and on Custom. 288
12. Ecclesiastical Law or Canon in General and Historical Explained. 295
13. An Explication of the Historical Body of Canon Law. 309
14. Of the Judgment of the Body of Canons, or of the Pontifical Right, and of the Study of Them. 325
15. Some Questions on Canon Law. 332
vol. 3, pt. 2, bk.4, tract 2, Of Ecclesiastical Attendants
3. Of Ecclesiastical Attendants, Canonists and House-Managers [Oeconomis] 895
Table of [the Titles of] Majesty and Power of the Sacred Monastery of Casinum 897
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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 & 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 & Moslems in Egypt’ (1908) 64 pp. in Old Testament & 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. 302-90 (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 & Ethics (1918 / 1921)
Informative, though overly positive.
Tritton, A.S. – ‘Islam and the Protected Religions’ in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, no. 2 (Apr., 1931), pp. 311-38
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2000’s
Ye’or, Bat – ‘Dhimmitude Past & 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 on GB
Stillman (b. 1945)
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Books
1800’s
Haines, C.H. – Christianity & Islam in Spain, 756-1031 (1889) 185 pp.
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1900’s
Wherry, E.M. – Islam & Christianity in India & the Far East (1906-1907) 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 & 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 (Cambridge, 1933) Buy
Stillman, Norman – Jews of Arab Lands: A History & Source Book Buy (1979) 474 pp.
Stillman (b. 1945)
Ye’or, Bat
The Dhimmi: Jews & 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 & Dhimmitude: Where Civilizations Collide Buy (2001)
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2000’s
ed. Thomas, David – Syrian Christians under Islam (Brill, 2001) 240 pp.
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Bibliographies
Thompson, James W. – ‘Mohammed & the Rise of the Arab Empire’ 1907 2 pp. in Reference Studies in Medieval History, pp. 39-40
Peters, Rudolph – Jihad in Medieval & 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 & Turks, pt. 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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Latin Articles
1600’s
Voet, Gisbert – Syllabus of Theological Problems (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 2, tract 4 Abbr.
Of the Medieval [Intermedia] Church
Of the Ancient Church: of the Waldenses & the Bohemians
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Bibliographies of Primary Sources
Books
1900’s
ed. Paetow, Louis – Guide to the Study of Medieval History (University of California Press, 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 (Columbia University Press, 1964) 545 pp. no ToC
“…for its time an exhaustive effort…” – Bradley & Muller
Ferguson, Mary Anne – Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources, 1943-1967 Buy (1975) 274 pp.
Continues Farrar and Evans work.
Bradley, James & Muller, Richard – Church History: An Introduction to Research Methods & Resources 1st ed. (Eerdmans, 1995) 293 pp. ToC The 2nd edition (2015) is necessary for the internet resources.
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2000’s
Boyle, Leonard – A Survey of the Vatican Archives & of its Medieval Holdings Buy (2001)
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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
Articles
1800’s
Sonnenschein, William – pp. 53-55 of The Best Books: a Reader’s Guide (London: Swan, 1891)
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1900’s
Davis, H.W.C. – ‘Note on Books’ in Medieval Europe (1911), pp. 255-56
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)
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Books
1900’s
Thompson, James W. – Reference Studies in Medieval History (1907) 130 pp.
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
Harvard University – General European & World History: Classification Schedule, Classified Listing by Call Number, Chronological Listing, Author & 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 & Reformation Germany (to 1648) Buy (1972)
“Aimed particularly at students limited to works in English, this narrative bibliography treats some 1,400 books and articles on Germany. The 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 & Renaissance Studies: A Location Guide to Selected Works & Source Collections in the Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill & Duke University Buy (1974)
Constable, Giles – Medieval Monasticism: a Select Bibliography (University of Toronto Press, 1976) 198 pp. ToC
“This bibliography of some 1,000 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
McGuire & Dressler – Introduction to Medieval Latin Studies: a Syllabus & Bibliographical Guide (Catholic University of America Press, 1977) 410 pp. ToC
Crosby, Bishko & Kellogg – Medieval Studies: A Bibliographical Guide (1983) 1,131 pp. ToC
“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 & Reformation, 2 vols. Buy (1994-1995)
“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 & Resources 1st ed. (Eerdmans, 1995) 293 pp. ToC The 2nd edition (2015) is necessary for the internet resources.
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Bibliographies on the Renaissance
Articles
1900’s
‘Bibliographies’ in The Cambridge Modern History, vol. 1: the Renaissance (1907), pp.
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Related Pages