Customer Reviews

Holy Warriors: The Religious Ideology of Chivalry

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Prof. Kaeuper's latest is a careful examination of the religious underpinnings of the chivalric world. It is NOT a book about Templars or Crusaders, per se, but rather, about the cultures and mentalities of the chivalric ordo and their clerical advocates and critics. Kaeuper's evocation of the major texts (like De Charny) and of the vast canon of chivalric literature (the chansons de geste and other poems) is skillfully used to support his thesis; his investigations into Medieval theology--or rather, into the practical applications of asceticism, for example, and their effect on the life and belief systems of the chivalric professionals) are masterful, well written, well argued.

I enjoyed the book and its arguments immensely, and I'd recommend it to anyone with more than a passing interest in chivalry. As Kaeuper includes most of the quotes he uses in the text, and utterly eschews academic jargon, the text is accessible to any reader.