Pierre de la Palud was a friar of aristocratic birth who was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1329. This biography follows the course of his eventful life, and exploits his copious writings to build up a vivid picture of the man and the world he inhabited. Lawyer, advocate, preacher, reformer, theologian, politician, encyclopedist, crusader - Pierre was all of these; and the voice of each can be heard in his writings. Jean Dunbabin's scholarly and penetrating study traces the career of Pierre de la Palud from his early reflections on contemporary moral issues, including papal prerogatives, contraception, and usury, to his political and diplomatic activities as Patriarch of Jerusalem. From Dominican friar to French courtier, the variety of Pierre's experience and the range of his writings reflect the turbulence of the fourteenth-century Christian church.

Pierre de la Palud was a friar of aristocratic birth who was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1329. Dunbabin's scholarly and penetrating study traces the career of de la Palud from his early reflections on contemporary moral issues, including papal prerogatives, contraception, and usury, to his political and diplomatic activities as Patriarch of Jerusalem. From Dominican friar to French courtier, the variety of de la Palud's experience and the range of his writings reflect the turbulence of the fourteenth-century Christian church.

A short but evocative study... The study portrays well Pierre's role against the backcloth of the events of his time. It commends itself to liturgists by its adept and extensive use of the colourful imagery of his sermons, which would undoubtedly merit further study.