Jonas of Bobbio and the Legacy of Columbanus
Sanctity and Community in the Seventh Century
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:12th Jul '18
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Jonas of Bobbio, writing in the mid seventh century, was not only a major Latin monastic author, but also an historical figure in his own right. Born in the ancient Roman town of Susa in the foothills of the Italian Alps, he became a monk of Bobbio, the monastery founded by the Irish exile Columbanus, soon after his death in 615. He became the archivist and personal assistant to successive Bobbio abbots, travelled to Rome to obtain the first papal privilege of immunity, and served as a missionary priest on the northern borderlands of the Frankish kingdom. He spent the rest of his life in Merovingian Gaul as abbot of the double monastic community of Marchiennes-Hamage, where he wrote his Life of Columbanus, one of the most influential works of early medieval hagiography. This book, the first major study devoted to Jonas of Bobbio, his corpus of three saints' Lives, and the Columbanian familia, explores the development of the Columbanian monastic network and its relationship to its founder. The Life of Columbanus was written following a period of crisis within the Columbanian familia and it was in response to this crisis that the Bobbio community in Lombard Italy commissioned Jonas to write the work. Alexander O'Hara presents the Life of Columbanus as a subtle and clever critique of the changes and crises that had taken place in the monastic communities since Columbanus's death. It also considers the life of Jonas as reflecting many of the changing political, cultural, and religious circumstances of the seventh century, and his writings as instrumental in shaping new concepts of sanctity and community. The result of the study is a unique perspective on the early medieval Age of Saints and the monastic and political worlds of Merovingian Gaul and Lombard Italy in the seventh century.
O'Hara's thesis is a valuable contribution to what is a well-trodden, although ultimately unsolvable, debate. The main argument that Jonas intended the Life to critique the direction of the Columbanian movement in the Frankish kingdom is a plausible one, even if the particulars O'Hara leverages to convince us of this are not all sustainable or are open to alternative interpretations. * Matthew Mattingly, Early Medieval Europe *
a significant piece of scholarship which should be of interest not only to monastic and church historians but to almost all those concerned with the early middle ages. Armed with this excellent book, his translation of Jonas's vitae ... Columbanus is now accessible to undergraduates and graduate students who might blanch at the sometimes difficult Latin: I can think of no higher praise. * M. A. Claussen, Church History *
O'Hara has provided a substantial contribution to an understanding of Columbanus and especially to an appreciation of Jonas's methods and agenda. Jonas of Bobbio and the Legacy of Columbanus is highly recommended for those with an interest in seventh-century Gaul and Ireland's contribution to its development. * Meredith Cutrer, History Ireland *
This is a welcome contribution to the history of monasticism, hagiography and culture in the early Middle Ages. * Rob Meens, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *
this is a refreshingly up-to-date approach, both in theoretical terms and in its breadth of coverage, to considering seventh-century hagiography, and these chapters demonstrate clearly just how Jonas can be situated within a larger history of Christendom-wide developments. * Sihong Lin, University College Dublin *
With this publication the author proves to be a well-founded expert for an author who has so far been little used in research. ...Particularly noteworthy is that O'Hara also includes the transmission and reception of Jonas' work in his study. In the appendix there is also an overview of the manuscripts of the Vita Columbani, including some that were unknown to the editor Krusch. The book is written throughout in a reader-friendly register. * Historische Zeitschrift *
Without spending a single apologetic word on the debate of the end of Late Antiquity, O'Hara has clearly shown that the seventh century is both interesting and relevant for anyone who wants to understand the late antique world. * Erik Hermans, Journal of Late Antiquity *
There is a great deal that is valuable in O'Hara's book. It portrays the continuity of a type of monasticism and set of beliefs that reflects those of the earliest phase of Irish Christianity. These include the preference for an effort-based spirituality as opposed to the reliance on grace advocated by Augustine; a limited acceptance of miracles and relics; and an historically-based biblical exegesis. But most importantly, it portrays the strategies of a highly intelligent and resourceful hagiographer, who skillfully manages to preserve the legacy of a great spiritual figure despite attempts from within and without to destroy it. * Michael Herren, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
Rich with examples and insights, the book is scholarship of the highest order by an author in complete command of his subject ... The book will be valuable for those specializing in church history and medieval thought ... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
An engaging study of a little-known figure, shedding new light on monasteries associated with Columbanus. In O'Hara's hands, Jonas of Bobbio emerges as a perceptive commentator on religion, politics, and culture in seventh-century Frankia, with particular interests in royal patronage and in the qualities necessary for effective monastic leadership. * Sarah Foot, University of Oxford *
ISBN: 9780190858001
Dimensions: 163mm x 236mm x 25mm
Weight: 640g
344 pages