Posted on May 9, 2019
Thomas of Monmouth: The hugely influential Christian writer you've never heard of
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Most people haven’t. Most people — most Christians — have never heard the story of Thomas of Monmouth. And that’s a problem, because most people — most Christians — have heard the story by Thomas of Monmouth. They’ve heard multiple versions of its endless variations.
It’s a story that has been told and retold for centuries. This story has shaped our faith and the culture of Western Christendom. It directly influenced later, better-known works by Chaucer and Luther and, even today, we can see its influence in both works of popular entertainment and scholarly theology. Every generation has adopted and adapted this story, repackaging it and repurposing it for each succeeding day and age. In my own time and place, I don’t think it’s possible to understand American Christianity or American politics in the 21st Century without understanding this story — the story invented and promoted by Thomas of Monmouth way back in the 12th Century.
It’s a story that has been told and retold for centuries. This story has shaped our faith and the culture of Western Christendom. It directly influenced later, better-known works by Chaucer and Luther and, even today, we can see its influence in both works of popular entertainment and scholarly theology. Every generation has adopted and adapted this story, repackaging it and repurposing it for each succeeding day and age. In my own time and place, I don’t think it’s possible to understand American Christianity or American politics in the 21st Century without understanding this story — the story invented and promoted by Thomas of Monmouth way back in the 12th Century.
Thomas of Monmouth: The hugely influential Christian writer you've never heard of
Posted from patheos.com
Religion
Christianity
World History
Abortion
Judaism
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 2
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No offense, but I'm confused... the author asserts some widespread adaptation of this literature into our collective thought... I couldn't find a single "Christian" doctrine anywhere. Honestly, I was expecting some expose on "Paradise Lost", or a companion piece revealing the various "versions" of the canonical Bible.. but, Monmouth... really?
Worse still, the article "seems" to point to Christian (specifically, American Christian) Anti-Semitics... the writer certainly hasn't spoken with many American Christians, most of whom (myself included) probably own a copy of Paul Newman's "Exodus" at home...some probably even cry a bit at the end.
I realize the "point" is to draw some comparison between the Jews and the "Left"... or someone... something, but it's trying to draw a line from "A" to "42".
The only coherent thing I did draw from it was a commentary on the recent issues regarding late-term abortion... and really, if someone's trying to defend that, this approach makes it look like even THEY are so unsure as to have to filter the argument in through a lesson in Medieval literature.
Sorry, this one's a swing and a miss... and by a large margin.
Worse still, the article "seems" to point to Christian (specifically, American Christian) Anti-Semitics... the writer certainly hasn't spoken with many American Christians, most of whom (myself included) probably own a copy of Paul Newman's "Exodus" at home...some probably even cry a bit at the end.
I realize the "point" is to draw some comparison between the Jews and the "Left"... or someone... something, but it's trying to draw a line from "A" to "42".
The only coherent thing I did draw from it was a commentary on the recent issues regarding late-term abortion... and really, if someone's trying to defend that, this approach makes it look like even THEY are so unsure as to have to filter the argument in through a lesson in Medieval literature.
Sorry, this one's a swing and a miss... and by a large margin.
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