Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 The impulse: what prompted monastic hospitality?
- Chapter 2 The administrative structure
- Chapter 3 The reception of guests
- Chapter 4 Provision for guests: body and soul
- Chapter 5 Provision for guests: entertainment and interaction
- Chapter 6 The financial implications of hospitality
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 Jocelin of Brakelond, monk of Bury St Edmunds
- Appendix 2 The Waterworks Plan of Christ Church, Canterbury
- Bibliography
- Index
- Other volumes in Studies in the History of Medieval Religion
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 The impulse: what prompted monastic hospitality?
- Chapter 2 The administrative structure
- Chapter 3 The reception of guests
- Chapter 4 Provision for guests: body and soul
- Chapter 5 Provision for guests: entertainment and interaction
- Chapter 6 The financial implications of hospitality
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 Jocelin of Brakelond, monk of Bury St Edmunds
- Appendix 2 The Waterworks Plan of Christ Church, Canterbury
- Bibliography
- Index
- Other volumes in Studies in the History of Medieval Religion
Summary
From receiving guests cheerfully the reputation of the monastery is increased, friendships are multiplied, animosities are blunted, God is honoured, charity is augmented and a plentiful reward is promised in heaven.
Hospitality has been integral to society from time immemorial. Its significance in Biblical times is reflected in the Old and New Testaments, chiefly in Abraham's encounter with the angels in Genesis 18: 1–15 and Christ's injunctions to care for the stranger in Matthew 25: 40. Its importance in classical and medieval times is evident in contemporary writings such as the works of Homer and Cicero, the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, and the Arthurian romances. Whether these writings reflect the ideals or the practices of the societies that produced them, they are a testimony to the place they accorded hospitality. Of course, hospitality is not a Western phenomenon. Anthropological studies have highlighted its significance to other cultures, notably, Marcel Mauss' pioneering analysis of the gift-exchange which considers what compelled people to give, receive and reciprocate, and Julian Pitt-Rivers' study of honour in contemporary Mediterranean societies.
Whilst hospitality has a long and enduring history, its significance in the twelfth century is of particular interest, both in a European and Anglo- Norman context. This was a dynamic period that gave rise to a number of religious, social and economic developments. The institution of a new ruling class in England following the Conquest of 1066 strengthened links with the Continent, for it brought greater access to foreign ideas, practices and texts.
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- Information
- Monastic HospitalityThe Benedictines in England, c.1070–c.1250, pp. 1 - 22Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2007