Past Convictions: The Penance of Louis the Pious and the Decline of the Carolingians by Courtney M. Booker, and The Penitential State: Authority and Atonement in the Age of Louis the Pious, 814–840 by Mayke de Jong
Sarah Whitten
REVIEWS 233 tional values attached to church property were generally reinforced. Barthélemy carefully walks through the arguments for Peace of God and millennial terror. He suggests that while attention spiritual motives those who attended peace councils more recent historians make is an important corrective nineteenth-century histories God, these same modern read their sources too literally. urges them be critical Rudolfus Glaber other sources. Dominique Barthélemy’s book inspects work on turn first millennium from nineteenth century present. examines critiques George Duby Pierre Bonassie, among others, in regard serfs knights, Richard Landes fears. In his early chapters, he points Marc Bloch as a effective starting point discussing servitude than historians. notes where have not enough or they allowed concerns present impede understanding past. last chapter, enumerates changed views ten years feudal revolution. effect claims won debate. Whether one agrees with assertion that, exception few unconvinced souls, has revolution debate, insightful this valuable discussions methodology how various debates over changes around year 1000 fit together. RUTH MILLS ROBBINS, History, University Southern California Courtney M. Booker, Past Convictions: The Penance Louis Pious Decline Carolingians (Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Press 2009) 420 pp.; Mayke de Jong, Penitential State: Authority Atonement Age Pious, 814-840 (Cambridge: Cambridge xv + 317 pp. 833, Frankish emperor son Charlemagne, was involved two events completely shaped memory time well reigns later Carolingian kings. These incidents, massive desertion army at Rothfeld June penance monastery St-Médard Soissons October, sparked continual interest amongst historians, ninth twenty-first centuries, saw episodes end imperial rule beginning decline dynasty. 2009, books re-evaluated place historical memory. Jong presents new reading ninth-century argues Louis’ part larger political culture by awareness having sinned needing atone. Carolingians, Booker interested occurrences crisis remembered historiography. 234 Both strive reassess narrative holistically rehabilitate eight reign, but it authors’ divergent approaches audiences creates unique both noteworthy contributions fields medieval history . Many scholars, when creating accounts plumbed numerous sources—often just pulling out relevant paragraphs chapters ignoring context writings. For method distorted readings descriptions fails explicate nuanced meanings created authors. One distortions caused use assessment about nature reign after penance, which seen ineffectual Janet Nelson, “The Pious...
Comitatus-a Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies