Reform vor der Reformation: Augustiner-ChorherrenstiftsgrÜNdungen an Marienwallfahrtsorten durch die Windesheimer Kongregation, by Jörg Bölling

Abstract

This study, by Jörg Bölling, of the foundation of houses of Augustinian Canons in Marian pilgrimage sites is based on a doctoral thesis in theology submitted at Bochum University. It is not easy to define its nature because the critical edition it contains is about the same length as the text itself, the Chronicle of Eberhardsklausen, an account of the foundation and early history of a pilgrimage site, and eventually a religious house, in the archdiocese of Trier. The reader is either dealing with an analytical text with a rather large appendix or with an edition following a rather extensive introduction. The book’s main theme is the impact of religious reforms inspired by Geert Groote’s Devotio Moderna (modern devotion) movement, which led to a reinvigoration of lay piety as well as the institutional expansion of the canons belonging to the Windesheim congregation. This theme is pursued on the basis of just one example, the image, later pilgrimage shrine and eventual ecclesiastical centre of Eberhardsklausen. Although repeated references to other centres of reform (Bödingen, Birklingen, Hirzenhain and, crucially, Windesheim and Böddeken) seem to indicate a fulfilment of the promises made in the book’s title, the author really only deals with the foundation of Eberhardsklausen, drawing most of the information from the chronicle, a text by Wilhelm of Bernkastel, who was instructed by one of Trier’s auxiliary bishops to record the events of the foundation process.