Daily Life in a Medieval Monastery

A study of life inside medieval monasteries that explores monastic spirituality, daily routines, contact with the outside world, and the historical impact of these foundational institutions on the Western world.

How did the Western monastic tradition begin? What was monastic life typically like for a monk or nun? How was the institution of the monastery formative to Western culture from antiquity through the Middle Ages? This book covers the entire span of monastic history in the late-ancient and medieval periods and provides an in-depth look at several monasteries across Europe. Each chapter introduces the reader to the surviving evidence for the houses studied, such as its monastic rules, plans, records of visitation, chronicles, and biographical accounts; and aims to give an "insider" view--not only of monks' and nuns' daily activities, but what these dedicated individuals' values, ambitions, and aspirations might have been.

Author: Sherri Olson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 08/12/2013
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.20w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780313336553

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 11/01/2013 pg. 41

About the Author

Sherri Olson, PhD, is associate professor of history and codirector of the medieval studies program at the University of Connecticut.