Michelle at Selah has a rant on the missing medieval period in the Episcopal Church’s Education for Ministry materials which apparently gives seriously short shrift to the medieval period generally and especially the English situation. Not only does she point out the problem but she touches briefly on the solution as well, giving a list of topics and people who really ought to be covered.
If you’re doing/have done EFM, you need to check it out…
Substantive posting here should resume in a little bit.
I had a fascinating experience today: I listened to “This American Life” on NPR, and they had a humorous segment in which a person was given two minutes to speak on the telephone to someone in 14th century England. The first said things like: “Wash your hands; don’t drink the water, etc.” The second asked the recipient to mail him a package with medieval bits and pieces in it. The third simply read the opening of “Canterbury Pilgrims” in Middle English.
It made me wonder (especially since I know the 14th century so well) what would I say in fifteen minutes to a 14th century Archbishop of Canterbury, or an Oxford Don, or a parish priest? How would I use what I know or what history has shown?
You are so right: there is a very big medieval hole — no only in EFM but in Church History in general. And so much to learn there — and so much to avoid.
I’m glad I dropped out after Year 2, then….