Rethinking the Carolingian Reforms

Arthur Westwell

ISBN 10: 1526178788 / ISBN 13: 9781526178787

Edité par Manchester University Press, GB, 2024

The Carolingian period (c. 750-900) has traditionally been described as one of 'reform' or 'renaissance', where cultural and intellectual changes were imposed from above in a programme of correctio. This view leans heavily on prescriptive texts issued by kings and their entourages, foregrounding royal initiative and the cultural products of a small intellectual elite. However, attention to understudied texts and manuscripts of the period reveals a vibrant striving for moral improvement and positive change at all levels of society. This expressed itself in a variety of ways for different individuals and communities, whose personal relationships could be just as influential as top-down prescription. The often anonymous creators and copyists in a huge range of centres emerge as active participants in shaping and re-shaping the ideals of their world. N° de réf. du vendeur LU-9781526178787

Synopsis :

The Carolingian period (c. 750-900) has traditionally been described as one of 'reform' or 'renaissance', where cultural and intellectual changes were imposed from above in a programme of correctio. This view leans heavily on prescriptive texts issued by kings and their entourages, foregrounding royal initiative and the cultural products of a small intellectual elite. However, attention to understudied texts and manuscripts of the period reveals a vibrant striving for moral improvement and positive change at all levels of society. This expressed itself in a variety of ways for different individuals and communities, whose personal relationships could be just as influential as top-down prescription. The often anonymous creators and copyists in a huge range of centres emerge as active participants in shaping and re-shaping the ideals of their world.

À propos de l'auteur:

Arthur Westwell is wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at the Universität Regensburg

Ingrid Rembold is a Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Manchester

Carine van Rhijn is a Lecturer in Medieval History at Utrecht University

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : Rethinking the Carolingian Reforms
Éditeur : Manchester University Press, GB
Date d'édition : 2024
Reliure : Paperback
Etat : New