 |
 |
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Ah - yes! I agree, of course. I apologize for an insufficiently worded characterization of Louis' legacy with respect to the Jewish community in France. My professional and research interest has for some time been about why Louis was understood as a saint in his own time (that is, his sanctity, not his "historical" person). Sadly, his actions with respect to Jews were actually not heavily highlighted in the discourse of his sanctity, and where it was (say, for instance, in the vita of William of Chartres, or Joinville's discussion of the debate between Cluniacs and Jews) it was a subject of praise, not vitriol. That itself is an important point for historical inquiry. Anyhow, my sincere apologies for those on the list who took offense at my potted description of Louis. I have a soft spot of Louis, since he has given me the subjects of my early career as a historian. But I would be a bad historian if I failed to recognize the truth in Jeffrey Woolf's post. Sincerely, Cecilia On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 2:06 AM, Dr. Jeffrey R. Woolf <[log in to unmask] > wrote: > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Over > the years, I've received my list of the day's saints with interest and it's > been very enlightening. Occasionally, I've thought about adding a comment, > but resisted. In the case of Louis IX, I feel I must. > > Louis IX is a good example of how one person's saint, is another's > anti-saint. Thus, I have no quarrels with his portrayal as a good, Christian > king of extraordinary piety. However, I strongly object to the sentence: > *Was intolerant in many respects also in-tune with his age (Jews, > heretics, with particular ire against blasphemers).* In particular, I'm > not sure what the phrase 'in many respects' means. > > Louis IX, as extensively discussed by Robert Chazan and William Chester > Jordan, pursued a virulent policy of anti-Judaism, which broke the back of > the venerable Jewish Community of France, both religiously and economically. > He, through his mother, sponsored the first public Inquisitorial Trial of > the Talmud in 1240, which resulted in the burning of 24 cartloads of > irreplaceable Talmudic manuscripts, two years later. (This action was, as > Jeremy Cohen noted, a blatant violation of the Augustinian doctrine of > Jewish toleration.) The ongoing ban against Talmud study, effectively > destroyed a most vibrant center of Jewish culture and scholarship. (Consider > where Nicholas de Lyra would have been had there been no Rashi.) > > In addition, strove mightily to economically break the Jewish community of > his realm by his attack on usury (at a time when credit was greatly needed > by his own subjects). He drove them into penury, and set in motion the > policies that led to the total expulsion of the Jews from France in 1306, by > his grandson, Phillip IV 'the Fair.' In Jewish History, Louis IX is an out > and out villain (though on a lesser scale than, say Vincent Ferrer). With > all due respect to his admirers, as someone who has studied this period > since he was an undergrad, I think a more balanced description would have > been in order. > > Dr. Jeffrey R. Woolf > Senior Lecturer > Talmud Department > Bar-Ilan University > Ramat Gan 52-900 Israel > O. 972-3-531-8593 > F. 972-3-535-1233 > C. 972-52-274-7375 > Website: http://myobiterdicta.blogspot.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* cecilia gaposchkin <[log in to unmask]> > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Sent:* Tuesday, August 26, 2008 6:19 > *Subject:* [M-R] Today's Saint - Louis IX of France > > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > Dear all, > > This is not spam (more apologies). I am writing because today is August 25, > the feast day of Saint Louis IX of France. I wait all year for August 25, > since I can give a private non-devotional nod to Saint Louis, the source and > focus of much of my academic research. I cannot let today go by, to this > list, who reads about the daily saints (happily, grâce à, John Dillon) > without a nod to "mine". Herewith, my very short, potted, saint's entry > (not meant to interfere, challenge, supersede, obviate, or otherwise stop > the normal rolling out of the saints...) > > Louis IX, born not-the-eldest son in 1214 (but became heir to the throne > with the death of a brother), to Blanche of Castille and Louis VIII - who > would have/could have been a great king, himself the son of Philip Augustus, > who was a great king. Louis came to the throne in 1226 (He was 12). He > bought the crown of thorns. He built the Ste.-Chapelle (about which I > routinely lecture as the most beautiful building in the world, a **fact** > ironically/mockingly/sarcastically parroted back to me in exams). He went on > crusade in 1250 (ended badly) and again in 1270 (ended badly again). He > instituted great reforms of government. Cared sincerely about effecting > true justice. Thought deeply about what actually *being* a Christian king > meant in terms of his own personal governance, and he truly wanted to effect > God's justice in his own kingdom. Seemed in-tune with many of the spiritual > imperatives of the day. Was intolerant in many respects also in-tune with > his age (Jews, heretics, with particular ire against blasphemers). > Certainly charismatic in his own day and effected a following certain of his > sanctity. Died in 1270, "a martyr", while (actively) beseiging a Muslim > city in North Africa. Bones returned to France. Miracles occured. Was > canonized 27 years later, August 25, 1297. Enormously important to various > constuencies early on. Still actively venerated. Enormously imporant to > French national identity and national historical memory. Central to our own > memorialization of the Middle Ages. > > m.c.g. > > > > > > M.C.Gaposchkin, Ph.D. > History, Dartmouth College > > > ------------------------------ > Be the filmmaker you always wanted to be—learn how to burn a DVD with > Windows(R). Make your smash hit<http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/108588797/direct/01/>********************************************************************** To > join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: > [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: > leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report > problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] For further information, visit > our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html > > ********************************************************************** To > join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: > [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: > [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: > leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report > problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: > [log in to unmask] For further information, visit > our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html