Lay Intellectuals in the Carolingian World

Description

Did the laity have a part in the Carolingian Renaissance? If so, how were lay elites, and through them the laity at large affected? This fascinating and wide-ranging volume examines these questions through a study of lay involvement in literary and artistic activity in early medieval Europe. Leading historians explore a diverse range of Latin and vernacular texts written by secular authors and use richly drawn case studies to illuminate such key issues as the extent of lay literacy, the contexts in which learned laity could flourish, the transformative impact of the Carolingian Renaissance, and the interaction of 'lay' and 'clerical' values on both sides of the Channel. This volume demonstrates that the learned laity, both women as well as men, contributed much more as writers and patrons to early medieval culture than was previously thought and it will be essential reading for scholars of Carolingian and Anglo-Saxon history.

PATRICK WORMALD was a College Tutor and University Lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford. JANET L. NELSON is Professor of Medieval History at Kings College London.

Review of the hardback: 'This excellent collection of essays does a great service in forcing an important issue into our historical consciousness, and, one hopes, into our debates.' H-German