Sunday, August 28, 2016

Jamie Blosser: "Positively Medieval"

Forthcoming book from one of the real academics in the Blosser family (yes, I'm only a hack) -- Dr. Jamie Blosser -- third of the four Blosser brothers and currently Assistant Professor of Theology at Benedictine College, KS: Positively Medieval: The Surprising, Dynamic, Heroic Church of the Middle Ages.

From the author's preface:

In my ten years of teaching Church history I have witnessed time and time again -- and these times are among my favorite moments as a teacher -- that my students, after picking up and reading medieval literature firsthand, are captivated by its relevance. Contrary to the typical narrative peddled by contemporary secular culture, sources reveal medieval Christianity to be intellectually inquisitive, spiritually vibrant, dynamic and world-affirming, sincerely held and culturally diverse. …

Even more, I have found that history works best when its focus is on concrete individuals, real personalities, rather than a broad survey of dates, events and vague generalizations. This is why I have chosen to structure this book not so much chronologically or thematically, but around the lives of real persons -- the lives of the saints.

The faithful men and women of the Middle Ages -- those who passed on the Faith so heroically and at such great cost -- still retain their power to inspire, to capture imaginations, and to teach those willing to learn.

Dr. Jamie Blosser teaches courses in church history, ecclesiology and New Testament. He received his Ph.D. in Historical Theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and wrote his dissertation on the theological anthropology of Origen of Alexandria: Become Like the Angels: Origen's Doctrine of the Soul. Before teaching at Benedictine College he worked at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. His main interest is in the study of patristics or early church studies, in particular Origen and Augustine of Hippo. He and his wife Danielle have five boys: Augustine, Ambrose, Cyprian, Basil and Cyril.

1 comment:

  1. Any reason why the Kindle version is more than the paperback?

    ReplyDelete