The debate over the poverty of Christ and his apostles under Pope John XXII (1316-1334) is one of the most famous intellectual controversies of the Middle Ages. The story of the uncompromising pope on collision course with a united Franciscan Order has often been told, most memorably by Umberto Eco in The Name of the Rose. In this book, Patrick Nold sets out to investigate the Franciscan Cardinal Bertrand de la Tour, a man apparently torn between the pope who was his patron and the Order to which he had devoted his life. Until now Bertrand has been considered of little importance, owing to his neglect by the primary sources conventionally relied upon by hisorians. Dr Nold suggests that these sources are unreliable: they were written years after the fact by disaffected Franciscans such as William of Ockham. From unpublished manuscript sources, Nold reconstructs the beginnings of the controversy and reveals the crucial role played by the Franciscan Cardinal. His discovery of Bertrand's significance undermines the common scholarly understanding of this episode and of the character of John XXII himself. He provides a major reinterpretation of the apostolic poverty controversy and has far-reaching consequences for issues such as papal infallibility, natural rights theory, and Ockham's political writings.
Readership: Scholars and students of medieval religious and intellectual history.
Patrick Nold, Visiting Professor in History, University of Michigan
"This book will make more than a contribution to its field. It will open new lines of thought. It will stimulate debate and suggest fresh interpretations of a well-worn subject." - Journal of Ecclesiastical History
"...a remarkably valuable book." - David Burr, Project Muse
"Dr Nold has painstakingly reread the sources and in the process has shed fresh light on events ... Doubtlessly, his efforts have produced results." - Collectanea Franciscana
"The book is written in a clear, scholarly and lively manner. It is a pleasure to read. The author reveals his grasp of both the original sources and the considerable secondary literature in many languages, all of which are listed in the Bibliography. Clarendon Press is to be congratulated on this excellent addition to Oxford Historical Monographs." - Archivum Historiae Pontificiae
"This important work has far-reaching consequences in three areas: the controversy regarding apostolic poverty (the poverty of Jesus and his apostles) that took place in the early fourteenth century both within the Franciscan order and between the 'Spiritual' party of the Franciscans and the papacy; secondly, the image of pope John XXII; thirdly, the origins of the doctrine of papal infallibility." - Archivum Historiae Pontificiae
"... an important book ... very convincing." - Journal of Theological Studies
1: The Chronicle of 'Nicholas the Minorite' 2: Other Sources 3: MS BAV vat. lat. 3740 4: The Compendiosa Resumptio Dictorum Domini Bertrandi de Turre Cardinalis 5: The Dicta Domini Bertrandi Cardinalis de Turre 6: The Letter of Perugia 7: The Dicta Domini Tusculani 8: Pope John XXII Appendix Manuscripts Cited Bibliography Index
