Europe's Long Twelfth Century

Order, Anxiety and Adaptation, 1095-1229

John D. Cotts

• Publisher: Red Globe Press
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780230237858
• eBook ISBN: 9781137296085
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European Medieval History
• Index: History

Between 1095 and 1229, Western Europe confronted a series of alternative cultural possibilities that would fundamentally transform its social structures, its intellectual life, and its very identity. It was a period of difficult decisions and anxiety rather than a triumphant 'renaissance'. In this fresh reassessment of the twelfth century, John D. Cotts:
- Shows how new social, economic and religious options challenged Europeans to re-imagine their place in the world
- Provides an overview of political life and detailed examples of the original thought and religious enthusiasm of the time
- Presents the Crusades as the century's defining movement. Ideal for students and scholars alike, this is an essential overview of a pivotal era in medieval history that arguably paved the way for a united Europe.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction: Approaches to the Twelfth Century and Its ‘Renaissance’
• 1 Varieties of Political Order in the Latin West
• 2 People, Economy, and Social Relations
• 3 Spirituality and Its Discontents
• 4 Intellectual Syntheses
• 5 The Crusades and the Idea of Christendom
• Notes
• Suggestions for Further Reading
• Index