The Religions of the Oeople in Sixteenth-Century Champagne

"This study in religious anthropology explores the social history of popular belief. The book begins with an evocation of the river towns, open fields, and vineyards of Champagne. In addition to the historical geography and quantitative material that are hallmarks of the French tradition, the author studies the rich artistic evidence that still graces the provincial churches. Galpern interprets religious behavior at the beginning of the century as a lingering response to difficulties of the late Middle Ages. The nascent Protestant movement highlights the ways in which many Catholics modified their practices, yet remained orthodox. The book charts the paths of antipathy that converged in civil war, and concludes with a discussion of the late-sixteenth-century atmosphere of revivalism, which mimicked the earlier spiritual climate."--Jacket Frontmatter (page N/A) 1. The Problem and the Province (page 1) 2. The Late-Medieval Inheritance (page 16) 3. Secular Crisis and Religious Solidarity (page 69) 4. Changing Times (page 94) 5. Confrontation (page 136) 6. The Ghost of the Past (page 181) Appendix (page 203) Bibliography (page 215) Index (page 235)