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The Birth of Purgatory

  • Paperback
  • 440 pages
  • Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
  • 15.4 x 23 x 2.4 cm

£53.43

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For those curious about the history of Purgatory.

"The Birth of Purgatory" explains its origins clearly.

You’ll understand how beliefs shaped medieval society.

Discover the fascinating history of the idea of Purgatory and how it shaped medieval society in Jacques Le Goff's insightful book.

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In "The Birth of Purgatory," Jacques Le Goff, the brilliant medievalist and renowned "Annales" historian, is concerned not with theological discussion but with the growth of an idea, with the relation between belief and society, with mental structures, and with the historical role of the imagination. Le Goff argues that the doctrine of Purgatory did not appear in the Latin theology of the West before the late twelfth century, that the word "purgatorium" did not exist until then. He shows that the growth of a belief in an intermediate place between Heaven and Hell was closely bound up with profound changes in the social and intellectual reality of the Middle Ages. Throughout, Le Goff makes use of a wealth of archival material, much of which he has translated for the first time, inviting readers to examine evidence from the writings of great, obscure, or anonymous theologians.
The Birth of Purgatory and Saint Louis
Saint LouisThe Birth of Purgatory

  • Title

    The Birth of Purgatory

  • Author

    Jacques le Goff

  • Book Format

    Paperback

  • Publisher

    The University of Chicago Press

  • Published

    December 1986

  • Edition

    New edition

  • Weight

    545g

  • Page Count

    440

  • Dimensions

    15.4 x 23 x 2.4 cm

  • ISBN

    9780226470832

  • ISBN-10

    0226470830

  • Eden Code

    1147533