John Henderson

John Henderson examines the relationship between religion and society in late medieval Florence through the vehicle of the religious confraternity, one of the most ubiquitous and popular forms of lay association throughout Europe. This book provides a fascinating account of the development of confraternities in relation to other communal and ecclesiastical institutions in Florence. It is one of the most detailed analyses of charity in late medieval Europe. "[A] long-awaited book...[It is] the most complete survey of confraternities and charity, not only for Florence, but for any Italian city state to date... This book recovers more vividly than other recent works what it meant to be a member of a confraternity in the late middle ages."--Samuel K. Cohn, Jr., Economic History Review "Henderson offers new and fascinating information... A stimulating and suggestive book that deserves a wide readership." --Gervase Rosser, Times Higher Education Supplement

Juvenal is a central author on courses in Classical Studies and has an important place on courses in comparative literature, both in the UK and USA. This new book by John Henderson shows how the eighth Satire, a brilliant piece of writing, makes fun of traditional Roman family values, and in the process displays the core of ideas and practices with which aristocratic culture at Rome enshrined itself - the display of geneologies, ancestral busts, proliferating names, the cult of exemplary legends - in all seriousness. Virgil and Horace are Juvenal's prize scalps in his spoof of the Roman fame-machine. The book is aimed at undergraduate students of Roman Satire, and advanced school students of Classical Civilisation; but the notes and Appendices also address scholars and advanced readers of Latin poetry and Roman cultural politics, supporting a new close-reading and engaging with literary theory. All Latin is translated.

This book examines the relationship between the secular and sacred in late medieval Florence through the vehicle of the religious confraternity, one of the most ubiquitous and popular forms of lay association throughout Europe. Based on a wealth of new documentation Dr Henderson provides a fascinating account of the development of the major fraternities of the city in relation to other types of communal ecclesiastical institutions. The first part discusses in detail their devotional activities for living members, including the singing of lauds, self-flagellation, processions and dramatic presentations, as well as funerals and commemorative services for the dead. Secondly, this is one of the most detailed analyses of relief to the poor and sick in medieval Europe. He examines the complementary welfare roles of fraternities and hospitals, during both non-crisis years and the emergencies caused by plague and famine, all within the wider context of communal policy towards the poor. Taken together the two themes of this book, piety and charity, provide new evidence concerning the complex relationship between religion and society in both private and public life.

Gives an understanding of the economic theory underlying health economics, supplemented with practical case study material to show how the theory has been applied.