Description
Book SynopsisEcclesiastical Knights is a spirituality study of the three military orders of Santiago, Calatrava, and Alcantara in Leon-Castile from the twelfth to the early fourteenth centuries. It explores the fundamental problem of the military orders: how the traditions of knighthood and monasticism were combined into a single way of life.
Trade Review"This is an important study both for the history of the military orders and the history of Medieval Spain. Elegantly, thoughtfully, persuasively, Conedera guides us towards the answer to a perplexing riddle: just why did so many knights consecrate their lives to God?" -- -Damian J. Smith St. Louis University "Conedera's book lets us sneak into the headquarters of Iberian 'ecclesiastical knights' and through the fascinating account of their virtues, shortcomings, devotions, and temptations convincingly illuminates the spirituality of their seemingly paradoxical nature." -- -Martina Saltamacchia University of Nebraska Omaha
Table of ContentsTable of Contents Preface i Introduction Warrior Monks? 1 Chapter 1 Foundations 26 Chapter 2 Interior Castle: The Orders' Religious Observance 70 Chapter 3 Ad Extra: The Orders' Mission in the World 110 Chapter 4 Brothers in Arms: The Orders' Relations with Each Other 151 Conclusion 192 Bibliography 198 Notes
