ROBERT F. BERKHOFER. Day of Reckoning: Power and Accountability in Medieval France. (The Middle Ages.) Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 2004. Pp. vi, 270.
Janet L. Nelson
In this strongly structured, beautifully written, and thoughtfully argued book, Robert F. Berkhofer III shows a welcome generosity of spirit, acknowledging accommodating many scholars' work straddling vexatious chronological divide. His focus is on evolving forms monastic property management in the twelfth century, but he begins with fine chapter ninth. What drove change? Once upon time, readers might have expected nuts-and-bolts “It's economy!” This book gives elicits more complicated responses. The first part, drawing material from five judiciously chosen northern French monasteries, textual genres (charters, lists properties, “deeds abbots,” cartularies) being employed, refurbished, spliced, caulked by memory to fill variety uses, including managerial, ca.1000. Ninth-century Carolingian policies “divide-and-rule” were embodied charters earmarking lands sustain monks or canons (the mensa), distinct “patrimony,” while other controlled abbot and/or king devoted securing lay patronage service. A “tradition patrimonial management” conserved rights performing duties: aim Folquin St. Bertin, assiduously selecting editing his monastery's documents ca. 962, grouping estates provide ministerium alms-giving, “was not ‘administrative’ any managerial sense, concerned ‘ministering’ broader sense” (p. 39). Documentary elaboration before 1000, thinks, had do identities than economics.
The American Historical Review