The Letters of Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln

Book excerpt: `This is a highly readable and accurate translation. The very useful annotations help to orient the modern reader with respect to medieval concepts, reflecting a profound understanding of thirteenth-century institutional history and the social and legal context of medieval Christianity. An extraordinary piece of scholarship.' James Ginther, Department of Theological Studies, St Louis University Robert Grosseteste (c.1170-1253) was an English statesman, philosopher, theologian, and bishop of Lincoln, and also one of the most controversial figures in his country's episcopate. His long life coincided with the central period of institutional, intellectual, and religious consolidation in medieval Europe and his letters provide important insights into the practices and preoccupations of the English clergy and laity in the first half of the thirteenth century. This volume contains the first complete translation of Grosseteste's collected Latin letters and shows that these were most likely chosen and arranged by Grosseteste himself. Shedding light on some of the period's crucial debates on issues of theology, law, pastoral care, and episcopal authority, F.A.C. Mantello and Joseph Goering's richly annotated English translation makes his letters more accessible than ever for scholars and students, and for those interested in medieval history, religion, and culture.