Description

During the turbulent fourteenth century, few Irish-born thinkers wielded as much intellectual and political influence across Europe as Richard FitzRalph. Richard FitzRalph: His Life, Times and Thought delivers a profound, comprehensive assessment of the Dundalk-born scholar who rose to become the Chancellor of Oxford University and the Archbishop of Armagh.

This masterfully researched volume tracks FitzRalph’s legendary theological career, most notably his fiery, high-stakes public disputes against the Mendicant (Franciscan and Dominican) friars over the concepts of poverty, apostolic authority, and property ownership. Navigating between the papal court in Avignon and his war-torn archdiocese in Anglo-Norman Ireland, this text provides a brilliant window into medieval philosophy, church governance, and the complex social realities of the pre-Reformation world.

Key features for medieval history scholars:

• Definitive Research: The ultimate authority on one of medieval Ireland’s most brilliant intellectual giants.

• Ecclesiastical Context: Deeply analyzes the bitter internal power struggles that shaped the 14th-century Catholic Church.

• Academic Excellence: Essential reading for university students, theologians, and medievalists.