Description: Monasticism was the dominant form of religious life both in the medieval West and in the Byzantine world. Latin and Greek Monasticism in the Crusader States explores the parallel histories of monasticism in western and Byzantine traditions in the Near East in the period c.1050-1300. Bernard Hamilton and Andrew Jotischky follow the parallel histories of new Latin foundations alongside the survival and revival of Greek Orthodox monastic life under Crusader rule. Examining the involvement of monasteries in the newly founded Crusader States, the institutional organization of monasteries, the role of monastic life in shaping expressions of piety, and the literary and cultural products of monasteries, this meticulously researched survey will facilitate a new understanding of indigenous religious institutions and culture in the Crusader states.
Brief description: Bernard Hamilton (1932-2019) was Professor of Crusading History at the University of Nottingham. His numerous publications include The Leper King and His Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem (2000), Religion in the Medieval West (2003) and The Christian World of the Middle Ages (2013).
Review Quotes: 'A remarkable achievement! Andrew Jotischky and the late Bernard Hamilton break new ground in this comprehensive and thoroughly researched study of Latin and Greek monasticism. An important contribution to the history of both the Latin and East and the wider world of medieval monastic endeavours.' Peter Edbury, University of Cardiff