Bishops, Saints, and Historians

Book excerpt: Throughout his career, Robert Brentano attempted to understand the nature and 'style' of ecclesiastical institutions in Italy and the British Isles, the specific qualities of saints and the communities that formed around them, and the ways in which seemingly cryptic archival remains of medieval administrative activity, as well as chronicles and lives, could reveal vital details about change and continuity in local and regional religious life and even 'the color of men's souls'. These issues are explored in the essays assembled in Parts I (Bishops) and II (Saints). Part III (Historians) brings together articles that examine the writing of history by both medieval authors and modern historians, and includes Brentano's reflections on his own practice as an historian. The introduction by W. L. North offers a brief biography and introduction to reading Brentano's works, followed by a complete bibliography of his publications.