Le père du siècle: The Early Modern Reception of Jean Gerson (1363–1429): Theological Authority between Middle Ages and Early Modern Era, written by Yelena Mazour-Matusevich

Le pére du siècle is a highly erudite and comprehensive exploration of Jean Gerson's legacy in early modern Europe.Its remarkable longevity is confirmed through Mazour-Matusevich's extensive research, which covers France, the Holy Roman Empire, the Italian Peninsula, Spain, England, the Low Countries, and Sweden.The book uses an impressive number of case studies to illustrate how theological, pastoral, ethical, and legal concepts were derived from Gerson's oeuvre and how his authority was employed in confessional propaganda.The book is structured into four chapters.The first provides a useful background on Gerson's fifteenth-century reception, emphasizing topics that remained important in subsequent centuries.Mazour-Matusevich convincingly demonstrates how Gerson's pastoral legacy and mystical theology, understood as affective spirituality, continually interested both clergy and laypeople who saw in it a means to balance the active and contemplative aspects of life.Works like Opus tripartitum (Work in three parts) and Monotessaron (A harmony of the four Gospels) established archetypes for new genres in religious writing, while La Montagne de contemplation (The mountain of contemplation) provided a reader-friendly discourse on affective mystical theology.Gerson's legacy was embraced throughout Europe, particularly among clergy and laypeople advocating ecclesiastical reform.However, his reception in the Holy Roman Empire was exceptional, resulting in numerous translations and editions.In the empire, Gerson was mythologized as one who found true sainthood with much to consider.The quality of the individual chapters is consistently good, and the expository style of every chapter, to say nothing of the generous footnotes, gives evidence of the work invested in the contributions between their delivery at a conference and their publication.