Access Furta Sacra: Thefts Of Relics In The Central Middle Ages Constructed By Patrick J. Geary Shown In Version

excellent examination of the history of relic veneration and theft, Some sections on individual monasteries' histories and arguments over document dating were predictably dry, but the theft accounts and Geary's religious, political, historical, and symbolic analyses of relics and their importance were really quite fascinating if you're a nerd about this topic, anyway, which I am.
Clear, brief, and insightful account, Fascinating, thoughtful, and accessible consideration of accounts of relics thefts and the interplay between society and relics, Geary did a good job

taking a measured look at the subject matter without giving into the anachronism and judgment, Steal me some relics! Insgesamt bietet es einen guten Überblick über den Reliquienhandel, Die Sprache ist jedoch teilweise sehr anstrengend und uneinheitlich, To obtain sacred relics, medieval monks plundered tombs, avaricious merchants raided churches, and relicmongers scoured the Roman catacombs, In a revised edition of Furta Sacra, Patrick Geary considers the social and cultural context for these acts, asking how the relics were perceived and why the thefts met with the approval of medieval Christians.
One of the common justifications mostly British people make as to why the British Museum should keep the wealth of stolen artefacts in their possession, rather than return countless priceless cultural, religious, artistic, and personal treasures to their rightful places of origin, is that the more civilised and more responsible British curators are better equipped to care for these items.
If those places of provenance really want their stuff back, they should first demonstrate that theyll be able to take care of it properly.
Apart from being absolute bullshit in pretty much every conceivable way, this argument is just unbelievably idiotic,

Why am I mentioning this Oh, . . no reason. How could something so interesting be so boring i am VERY impressed with this book, I had to read it for my medieval history final for school and I was not looking forward to it at all, usually, I HATE nonfiction and even more I hate historical stuff because its all old timey and just about dead people I don't care about.
so I went in with extremely low expectations and thinking it would just be super boring, I REALLY LIKED IT. i have never really enjoyed a nonfiction historical book before EVER, somehow it was entertaining You can tell the author put a lot of work into this and he is really passionate about the subject.
i am still blown away by the fact that I didn't hate reading this, props to you Mr geary
and it only took me three days to read!
ok time to write apage final essay about it :/ The book that kicked my history senior thesis into motion.
I've spent many hours with it, Throughout the period betweenand, there developed a growing hagiographic tradition that claimed the translations of saints from one location to another by way of theft.
These strange accounts are the subject of Geary's project, an examination that opens the way to further understanding of the power of relics and their role in medieval society.


For the most part, the book has a specific range of time and texts, with only the the introduction and chapter one describing the broad strokes of history surrounding them.
This is both a benefit and a detriment to the book, On the one hand, this attention allows for close study of the sources worthy of sustained discussion although, as noted, this extended discussion does not always do justice.
On the other hand, more background would allow for more context in which to situate the particulars of this study, Related to this issue, Geary at times cites or even quotes established authorities such as the Bible, Augustine, Gregory the Great, Isidore, and Bede in relation to his subjects, but does not discuss the impact of these passages on medieval mindsets.
Sometimes, these citations do not even provide concrete examples of the point being made, Instead, these passing references necessitate reading between the lines to find the implications,

Given the limited scope of the project, the close readings and analyses are also not as thorough as one might expect or hope.
For example, in his use of hagiography, Geary emphasizes the general similarities of the accounts rather than the divergent details, While he is certainly correct that this is a broad topos of saints' lives, there is much to be gleaned from examining the ways in which literary topoi are adapted for local variants.
There is certainly much more on which could be expanded in this examination,

For a starting point to the world of saints, relics, and religious veneration in the early Middle Ages, Geary does present a worthy study, but for greater analysis and synthesis, readers must look elsewhere.
Undoubtedly this is a basic study for anyone interested in relics in the early Middle Ages, and one of the great values of this book is the way in which it points toward the need and possibility for further work on the subject.
An interesting book on an eccentric topicthe theft of relics during the Central Middle Ages in Europe and how these thefts were tolerated by the Church.
After the Carolingian period, the Church expanded to more rural areas of Europe where Relics provided important spiritual protections from invasion that sparsely populated areas could not otherwise afford or count on.
Relics were also important sources of revenue for otherwise impoverished areas, and could provide a draw for pilgrimage,

The most interesting part of the book for me was Geary's distinction between the Byzantine Image and the Catholic 'Relic', the former being a symbol for spiritual presence, the latter being actual spiritual presence which was capable of miracles.
Thus, the story of the translationes were incredibly important for establishing the legitimacy of an object's spiritual endowment, something which would otherwise be incredibly difficult to prove.
How is the dust in the bag definitively that of this particular said Well, let me tell you a story, . .

While some of the details of various translationes were a bit tedious for an amateur like me, this was nevertheless a very interesting and accessible introduction to an otherwise obscure topic.
У середньовічного чернецтва в посадовій інструкції, десь таким дрібненьким, але важливим шрифтом, часто зазначалося: можливі закордонні відрядження, виконання крадіжок во славу обителі, сидіння в засідці та забезпечення рідного монастиря мощами. Карколомні переховування та перевдягання, інтриги і скандали в академічному викладенні. Класна книжка. Exactly what it says on the tin, a highly readable text on relic theft in the central middle ages, It finds that sweet spot between "informative but inscrutable", and "easy to read but not much substance", Pure joy. Catholics will both laugh and cry, Protestants will say, "I told you so!" Excellent work by an excellent author, He describes the role of the Cult of Saints in the Middle Ages and Late Antiquity while also describing nefarious dealings pertaining to this phenomenon.
Patrick Geary was not rewarded with praise after this book first came out, However, it is a great book and fortunately has received respect since its first publication, He shows how monks and the Christian Church knowingly stole relics and the reasons why they did it, Furta Sacra is a wellresearched, respectfully written "expose" of the relic trade as it was conducted during the Middle Ages, Geary looks at relic thefts in Western Europe between aboutand, seeking to categorise them but also to understand why they were carried out.
Comprehending the motives of relic thieves can be puzzling for a modern audience, particularly when it comes to understanding why their actions were not automatically condemned.
In this slim, clearlywritten book, Geary does a good job at unpicking the rationalisations which were in vogue during this period of the Middle Ages.
Relics, particularly those which were the bodies of saints, were 'alive' in some way, subjects and not objects therefore, if they were 'stolen' it could only be because the saint had personally sanctioned it.
To say otherwise was to deny the relic's mighty power, The stolen relics were used to provide a firm financial foundation for new monasteries, to create communal prestige, or to calm religious turmoil, amongst other reasons.
There are perhaps places where Geary could have expanded his analysis further, or read his sources in more depth, but this is a useful starting point.
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