Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages

Penguin (Non-Classics). Very Good with no dust jacket. 1978. Mass Market. 0140205039 . Mass Market Paperback with wear to the spine hinges, squared, tightly bound with a bright & unmarked interior. "Southern is a classic guide to cultural change in the Middle Ages. The book exposes a host of social turning points that would reshape Western society for centuries. For example, Southern explains the massive rise of religious idealism and diversified holy orders starting after 1000 AD. Such an upsurge of sentiment had at least some potential to inspire deeper love between men and women. And perhaps the popular cults of Mother Mary or of courtly love did indicate some deepening of human relations. But by its context and structure, the Western church made it seem that all real holiness required chastity. The effect was to channel religious aspiration away from family or secular community life, till both men and women commonly believed that Christianity stood for the separation, not the partnership of sexes. "; Hist of the Church; 0.8 x 7 x 4.3 Inches; 376 pages .