Description
Book SynopsisUses the lens of medieval preaching to examine the mendicant friars' transformation of Mary Magdalen, a shadowy gospel figure, into an emblem of action and contemplation, a symbol of vanity and lust, a model of perfect penance, and the embodiment of hope and salvation.
Trade ReviewWinner of the John Gilmary Shea Prize, American Catholic Historical Association "Jansen's book is both a superb study of the character of Mary Magdalen as interpreted by later medievals as well as a paradigmatic methodological study for approaching the intriguing question of the reception of the medieval sermon... [It will be] a standard for both women's studies and the study of sermon literature...The book should enjoy wide readership, not only by those interested in the Magdalen, but also by students and professionals alike who might look to this study for scholarly guidance--such its intellectual scope and methodological competence."--Joan Mueller, Theological Studies "Jansen shows that the issue of gender was close to the surface in every phase of the Magdalen cult, bound up with the continuing debate over women as preachers and with questions of authority. On the whole she employs gender analysis convincingly to clarify some puzzling texts."--Donald Weinstein, Renaissance Quarterly "[An] elegant and learned book... it goes beyond it predecessors in several ways... Jansen has produced a disciplined, tightly focused historical monograph... The final result is theologically sophisticated and sociologically interesting."--Augustine Thompson, American Historical Review "An ambitious and important book... Having read it one is guaranteed to see medieval representations of the Magdalen with new eyes."--Jussi Hanska, Journal of Ecclesiastical History "Jansen has a genuine gift for relating the story of the Magdalen to the larger religious and social history of the period. It is highly readable, learned, full of interesting material gleaned from primary archival research, and amply illustrated."--Lawrence S. Cunningham, Commonwealth "Jansen's careful scholarship, detailed footnotes, and useful bibliography make the book a 'must have' for anyone interested in Magdalenian studies. The 'Royal Response' chapter alone makes the book a 'must have' for anyone interested in the intersection of politics, religion, and the multifaceted relations arising from their heady mix."--Whitney Leeson, Sixteenth Century Journal "A tremendous, ambitious, and worthy work of erudition and scholarship."--Linda E. Mitchell, The Historian "This is an important book that deserves to be widely known."--Constant J. Mews, Journal of Religious History "Jansen offers us a well-written book that brilliantly explores one of the most important saintly cults of the medieval era."--Bernard Schlager, The Historian
Table of ContentsILLUSTRATIONS Vii Acknowledgements xi ABBREVIATIONS XV A Note on Transcriptions Translation, and Names xvii Introduction 3 ONE "In Memory of Her": From History to Legend 18 PART 1: THE MENDICANT MAGDALEN TWO The Vita Apostolica 49 THREE The Vita Activa 100 FOUR The Vita Contemplativa 116 PART II: THE WAGES OF SIN FIVE "Vanity of Vanities, All Is Vanity" 145 SIX "There Was a Sinner in the City" 168 PART III: DO PENANCE SEVEN The Exemplar of Perfect Penance 199 PART IV: RESPONSES EIGHT Responses to the Scriptural Saint 247 NINE Responses to the Legendary Saint 265 TEN In the Shadow of the Virgin 286 ELEVEN The House of Anjou: A Royal Response 307 EPILOGUE "In Memory of Her": From Legend to History 333 Bibliography of Works Cited 337 Unpublished Primary Sources 337 Published Primary Sources 339 Secondary Sources 348 Index 371
