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Distributed for Karolinum Press, Charles University

Fasciculus Moralitatis

Omelie Morales de Infantia Saluatoris

The first critical edition of Caesarius’ Omelie morales de infantia Saluatoris—Homilies on Jesus’ Childhood.

Primarily known as the author of the Dialogus miraculorum—a collection of exemplary stories that secured his reputation as the master of Cistercian storytelling—Caesarius of Heisterbach was also the author of several sermons and homilies. Although they are not as well known today, his Homilies on Jesus’ Childhood are exceptional in many ways. Readers will immediately notice Caesarius’s versatility as he employs an impressive array of persuasive techniques: quoting scholarly works, interpreting Hebrew names and letters, delving into etymology and numerology, and including numerous examples to instruct both the learned and the common person.

362 pages | 6.5 x 8.86 | © 2023

Prague Medieval Studies

Literature and Literary Criticism: Classical Languages

Religion: Christianity


Table of Contents

I. Caesarius of Heisterbach: Cistercian monk, writer and homilist 7
(A) Biography 7
(B) Caesarius of Heisterbach and preaching 15
(C) The place of homilies and sermons in Caesarius’s writings 19

II. De infantia Salvatoris: presentation of the cycle 26
(A) Title 26
(B) Circumstances of the composition 27
(C) Date of composition 27
(D) Name of the author 28
(E) Structure of the cycle 29
(F) Principal subject 30

III. Originality of Caesarius’s exegethical methods 32
(A) Predilection for the moral exegesis 32
(B) Elements of the exegesis 34
(C) Exegetical tools 37
(D) Exempla 42
(E) Sources 44
(F) The language of the homilies 46

IV. The audience of the De infantia 47

V. Textual tradition 52

VI. Principles of the edition 57
(A) Orthography 57
(B) Biblical quotations 58
(C) Fontes exemplorum 58
(D) Marginal annotations 58
Bibliography 61
EDITION 68
Fontes exemplorum 327
Index nominum 350
Index locorum 353
Index interpretationum 355
Index locorum Scripturae 357

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