Beschreibung
The Carmelites’ role as one of the four great mendicant
orders was not unchallenged. Originating as an association
of hermits on Mount Carmel, the order experienced a dramatic
transformation in the thirteenth century while its name was
a reminder to origins which were obscure and its first form
of religious life was diametrically opposed to the mendicant
ministry. In addition the `White Friars’ were unable to find
legitimization in a charismatic founder figure, unlike the
Franciscans and the Dominicans. These factors led the
Carmelites to create an identity finding their roots with
the prophets Elijah and Elisha, who appear in texts and were
represented in altar pieces and other works of art. The ten
articles published in this volume address these underlying
issues and deal with the order’s historiography as well as
its regional representation in different phases of its
history.
The authors are historians and art
historians – some of them members of the Carmelite
community – who are working as academics and specialise in
the comparative history of religious orders.
