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[Introduction To] Augustine's Leaders, Peter Kaufman

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In Augustine's Leaders, Peter Iver Kaufman works from the premise that appropriations of Augustine endorsing contemporary liberal efforts to mix piety and politics are mistaken--that Augustine was skeptical about the prospects for involving Christianity in meaningful political change. His skepticism raises several questions for historians. What roles did one of the most influential Christian theologians set for religious and political leaders? What expectations did he have for emperors, statesmen, bishops, and pastors? What obstacles did he presume they would face? And what pastoral, polemical, and political challenges shaped Augustine's expectations--and frustrations? Augustine's Leaders answers those questions and underscores the …

[Introduction To] "The Polytyque Churche": Religion And Early Tudor Political Culture, 1465-1516, Peter Kaufman

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For nearly five centuries readers of history have been treated to a one sided view of the late medieval English Church, and that narrow, negative vision has been permitted to stand for the whole. Most of the misconceptions about the clerical contribution to the tutor dynasty's formative years stem from criticisms of clerical worldliness composed by More, Erasmus, Colet, and others. The Polytyque Churche is Kaufman's attempt to restore the reputation of the late medieval English church and its position in political culture.

At the core of the book, Kaufman analyzes these deceptive accusations against the church. He prefaces his …