Religious Enthusiasm in the Medieval West : Revivals, Crusades, Saints

Collective religious enthusiasm was a many-sided, influential and widespread phenomenon in medieval Europe.

Amongst the forms it took were remarkable revivalist movements like the flagellants of 1260; popular crusades like the often mythologized "children's crusade" of 1212 and the "shepherds' crusade" of 1251; as well as popular excitement involving living saints and their veneration (115 cults in Perugia).

This book focuses upon particular 13th-century revivals and popular crusades, but does so in order to illuminate the nature of medieval western religious enthusiasm by exploring such topics as crowds, penitential self-laceration, charismatic leaders, prophecy, runaway youths, popular crusading fervour, dreams and sanctity (male and female).

The essay which introduces the book initiates a discussion of religious enthusiasm in the medieval West and the second conversion of Europe.