Guido of Monte Rochen's Handbook for Curates became the most popular
pastoral manual at the close of the Middle Ages as thousands of copies
were printed in Europe. Composed of a mixture of practical "how to" and
theological instruction, the Handbook taught pastoral basics to
everyday priests. As such, it is an essential and vibrant source on late
medieval religion and parish practice, which this full-length
translation makes available in English for the first time.
The Handbook is divided into three parts: sacraments and their
administration, the sacrament of penance, and basic catechesis. Together
they reflect Guido's mission to facilitate the fundamental duties
priests were expected to fulfill for souls under their charge. Guido
explains constituent parts of each sacrament, how each is done, who
receives it, and what problems might arise in its practice. In step with
broader religious currents of his day, Guido treats penance extensively,
addressing topics from instances of the deadly sins to how to question
penitents in confession. His Handbook concludes with explanations of
the Creed, Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments for the benefit of his
readers and their flocks.
To help contemporary students and scholars understand fully the
*Handbook'*s richness as a historical source, the introduction situates
it within the intellectual milieu of late medieval Christianity. Guido
is well acquainted with the vagaries of real life in a parish and a
sense of compassion underlies his directives. Evidence of readers'
hands-on engagement abounds in the annotations that were written in the
book's margins. Examination of both the content of such comments and
their location within the text suggests how Guido's readers sought to
translate his advice into practice.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:
Anne T. Thayer is the Paul and Minnie Diefenderfer Professor of
Mercersburg and Ecumenical Theology and Church History at Lancaster
Theological Seminary. Katharine J. Lualdi is professor of history and on
the faculty of the Honors Program at the University of Southern Maine.
Thayer and Lualdi share an interest in late medieval and early modern
Christianity, particularly at the parish level, and have collaborated on
the edited volume Penitence in the Age of Reformations.
PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:
"This excellent translation provides an invaluable window into the late
medieval culture of parish life and expectations about priestly
knowledge and activity, as well as a resource for exploring the
transformation of scholarly expertise for practical use. Anne Thayer and
Katharine Lualdi follow Guido's lead in creating a volume that offers
both neophytes and advanced audiences a distillation of deep learning in
an engaging, user-friendly compendium."--Anne L. Clark, Professor of
Religion, University of Vermont
"A most welcome addition to our growing knowledge of practiced, popular,
and parish religion in the late Middle Ages. Scholars and students,
priests and pastors will find much of interest in this late-medieval
bestseller. The translation is careful and clear, while the introduction
places the Handbook in its proper historical and pastoral
context."--Peter Dykema, Associate Professor of History, Arkansas Tech
University
"The first English translation of Handbook for Curates, one of the
most oft-consulted texts by neophyte parish priests in the late Middle
Ages, is a cause for celebration. The editors have examined scores of
early printings of this text and analyzed the heavily annotated readers'
comments. The result is a rich analysis of the duties of a parish priest
on the eve of the Reformation."--Mack P. Holt, Professor of History,
George Mason University
"This lucid, highly readable translation, grounded on painstaking and
insightful research, masters the direct but complex style and content of
this im
