A Bishop's Tale: Mathias Hovius Among His Flock in Seventeenth-Century Flanders

by Craig Harline, Eddy Put

This absorbing book takes us back to the busy, colorful world of a Netherlandish Catholic bishop and his flock during the age of Reformation. It is drawn from a rare journal, one of many kept by Mathias Hovius from 1596 to 1620 while he was Archbishop of Mechelen (part of modern Belgium). Elegantly written, the book focuses not only on the life of Mathias Hovius but also on key events and characters of his time; it portrays “lived religion,” so that we see people from all sides getting involved in the constant negotiation of what it meant to be a good Catholic.

Craig Harline and Eddy Put recreate the eventful life and times of Mathias Hovius―a world in which other-believers were outright heretics, the nagging fevers of old age were the result of unbalanced bodily humors, and a corruptible earth rested motionless at the center of the universe while God sat exalted on a throne just beyond the fixed stars. The authors also tell the stories of monks, nuns, priests, millers, pilgrims, peasant women, saints, town and village councils, and ordinary parishioners; each story, fascinating in its own right, illustrates a major theme in the history of the Catholic Reformation. In the end Harline and Put have painted a picture teeming with life and energy.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Luc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historisch boek dat leest als een roman en veel inzit verschaft in de Nederlanden van de zeventiende eeuw.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and lively history written in almost novelistic fashion about the life of Mathias Hovius, Archbishop from 1595-1620 in the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium). The authors have reconstructed his history following particular events in his life which they recount in an engaging narrative form. Hovius came to the position from the inside and from a less than noble background. After years of war (for Dutch independence) the province and its churches were a wreak and several more prominent men had refused the task. Hovius proved a strong (if not beloved) archbishop, but had to struggle throughout to implement Tridentine reforms against local practices, entrenched interests among the monasteries, canons and priests, within the secular authority, and even against Rome. I hope the good bishop had much joy around the table and among his flock because the historians relate the political/religious/legal battles that he had to fight/negotiate to assert his authority and to reform or mitigate many awful practices. A very delightfully told tale, but certainly no advertisement for such a hierarchical position. The last chapter relates some of the archival work the historians had to do - I could have read even more about it (but then I am a historian).

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a history class, but I really enjoyed it. It talks about a Bishop in the 12th or 13th century and his problems with the corruption in the Catholic church.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting insight to a time and place I had not much exposure to before. I thought it would be more "journal-y" but found that the authors wrote about what they read.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly detailed look at the state of Christian monasteries in the 1600s, covering everything from daily living conditions to political drama as the Protestant Reformation unfolded. The uncovered minutiae should be invaluable to any historian, and those details make it a fascinating read for even the average layperson. A refreshing historical read to get in between all those biographies on European monarchs, for sure.