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Dear List Members; 
I am currently working on English Anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages.  In 
particular I am focusing on the clerical role and the effect of 
anti-Jewish sermons. 
Cecil Roth in his History of the Jews in England wrote: 

"In accordance with the provisions of the Papal Bull Vineam Sore of the 
previous year [1279] conversionist sermons were instituted in England.  
This innovation was reinforced shortly after by the full weight of 
royal authority, in a decree ordering all Jews to attend the discourses 
that were to be arranged for their benefit during the coming Lent."

Roth documents this with the Patent Rolls of 1280 - and then explains 
that such types of sermons were not generally used on the continent 
until the Catholic Reformation.  

I would appreciate any more leads in reference to this subject.  Aside, 
from Roth I am not sure how many historians have even looked at this 
subject of conversionist sermons. --Anything you can offer is greatly 
appreciated.  
Sincerely, 
Tim Kovalcik
University of Bristol 
On Thu, 04 Feb 1999 10:56:38 +0000 Jessalynn Bird 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Dear listmembers,
> 
> 
> As part of my thesis, I am writing on the impact of the prophecies 
> circulating in the crusader camp before Damietta during the Fifth 
> crusade.  I possess some proof that prophecies concerning the success 
> of a crusade led by an emperor possessed some impact upon the planning 
> of Frederick's crusade even after the loss of Damietta in 1221 (since 
> two clergymen enamored of these prophecies, Oliver of Paderborn and 
> James of Vitry, were also involved in promoving Frederick's crusade in 
> the 1220s).  However, I have also encountered passing references to 
> prophecies concerning a Christian emperor attached to Frederick 
> Barbarossa which may have separately influenced Frederick II's 
> conception of his role as leader of a crusade.  Alas, there were no 
> footnotes!  
> 
> My query is: apart from the Joachimist and Sybilline prophecies 
> already circulating during the Third crusade which were applied to 
> both Philip Augustus and Richard the Lionheart, does anyone know of a 
> prophetic tradition applied to Frederick Barbarossa?  I would also be 
> interested in concrete evidence for prophecies being applied to 
> Frederick II and his crusade in the 1220s and 1230s (I'm already aware 
> of the venerable prophetic tradition regarding Frederick and German 
> emperors in general prevalent in the later thirteenth century).  I've 
> already looked at various appropriate chronicles, Caesarius of 
> Heisterbach, and some of the standard works on Frederick (Kantorowicz, 
> Van Cleve, Abulafia), but have drawn blanks.
> 
> All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged in print.
> 

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TM Kovalcik, Theology and Religious Studies
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