Many Christians today tend to view the story of medieval faith as a cautionary tale. Too often; they dismiss the Middle Ages as a period of corruption and decay in the church. They seem to assume that the church apostatized from true Christianity after it gained cultural influence in the time of Constantine; and the faith was only later recovered by the sixteenth-century Reformers or even the eighteenth-century revivalists. As a result; the riches and wisdom of the medieval period have remained largely inaccessible to modern Protestants.Church historian Chris Armstrong helps readers see beyond modern caricatures of the medieval church to the animating Christian spirit of that age. He believes today's church could learn a number of lessons from medieval faith; such as how the gospel speaks to ordinary; embodied human life in this world. Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians explores key ideas; figures; and movements from the Middle Ages in conversation with C. S. Lewis and other thinkers; helping contemporary Christians discover authentic faith and renewal in a forgotten age.
#4432006 in Books 2001-04-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.57 x 1.08 x 6.39l; .0 #File Name: 1585441171320 pages
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. One Long WeekendBy Nicholas E. SarantakesWilliam M. Donnelly; is a historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History; and he has written an interesting study on the National Guard during the Korean War. Given the current heavy use of Guardsmen and Reservists in Iraq and Afghanistan; this book has a lot more relevance today than when it was first published.Donnelly is interested in exploring the contribution and effectiveness of the Guard during this war. Only about a third of the Guard was mobilized during the war; and only half of these soldiers ended up in Korea. Even then; most Guard units were deployed only as reserve units and saw little fighting. The 45th Infantry Division; a Guard unit out of Oklahoma; was the only division sized unit that sent into combat. Even then; Gen. J. Lawton Collins; the Army Chief of Staff; had to force Eighth Army commander General Matthew B. Ridgway to use this unit. Collins feared the damage to Guard-Regular relations that might otherwise come about if the turmoil of mobilization never resulted in actual deployment in combat.Donnelly finds that the Guard did well during the Korean War. The units that went to Korea performed the best; according to U.S. Army training tests and formal evaluations. The units that went to Europe to backfill regular formations in Korea also turned in solid performances; while those that were on active duty but remained in the United States performed poorly since they were raided for quality personnel to make good losses in active duty units. The main factors determining success for Guard units were the same things for those of regular units: amount of training; quality of units; and adequate supplies.This book is quite interesting. The writing is solid and adequate. The coverage is more institutional than personal and there are few anecdotes to enliven the text. The topic is hardly sexy and exciting; but Donnelly clearly shows its importance.3 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Federalization of the State National Guard Units- Korean WarBy jane veraThe Author selects four of the State Guard units called into federal service to follow in depth through training and assignment. I found his treatment of the controversial purge of the African-American officers of the 272nd Field Artillery Battalion from Massachusetts excellent. In this age of 'political correctness' he presented all the facts without taking sides in the controversey; letting the reader come to his or her judgment as to whether the purge was necessary to make the unit operational. The White Col. involved was over-ruled in part after the Pittsburgh Courier; a leading African American newspaper; sent a telegram to Secretary of the Army; Pace. However; after the Col's transfer; the Army disbanded all Black units and racially integrated all units. (note: Truman's Exe. Order regarding integration was 4 yrs. prior in 1948). To quote the Author; "In the end; what the story of the 272nd's..federal service demonstrates above all; is the eternal military truth: good units are based on good troops; good training; and good leadership." The politics involved with all the State Guard units contributed to the tensions and in-fighting among the WWII regulars; the governor appointed officers (frequently not qualified); the assigning to the units draftees from other states; and the 'raiding' of the units of skilled personnel to assign to units fighting in Korea. The Author also covers in detail the lack of training and the inadequate equipment which most all the State Guards shared. As a taxpayer with my eyes on the Federal "Defense" Budget; I only hope someone in charge in the Pentagon will read this book and learn from the mistakes made during the 'call-up' of the State Guards during the Korean Conflict.
