Overview

In this book Philippa Hoskin offers an account of the pastoral theory and practice of Robert Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln 1235-1253, within his diocese. Grosseteste has been considered as an eminent medieval philosopher and theologian, and as a bishop focused on pastoral care, but there has been no attempt to consider how his scholarship influenced his pastoral practice. Making use of Grosseteste’s own writings – philosophical and theological as well as pastoral and administrative – Hoskin demonstrates how Grosseteste’s famous interventions in his diocese grew from his own theory of personal obligation in pastoral care as well as how his personal involvement in his diocese could threaten well-developed clerical and lay networks.

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Reviews

this is a valuable addition to the flourishing field of Grosseteste studies, combining in-depth knowledge of the bishop himself (Hoskin's last book was an edition of Grosseteste's episcopal rolls) with a strong sense of the world in which he operated. As a case study of one man's approach to pastoral care, it provides a valuable counterpart to broader-based studies such as William Campbell's The Landscape of Pastoral Care in Thirteenth-Century England (Cambridge, 2018). There is also much of interest here for the historian of the medieval episcopate, an area which has experienced something of a resurgence of interest in recent years.[...] Although Grosseteste was in many respects an exceptional bishop (or at least an exceptionally-well documented one), his experiences were far from unique, and raise important questions about the nature and functions of episcopacy in thirteenth-century England. Consequently, Robert Grosseteste and the 13th-Century Diocese of Lincoln is a must-read not only for fans of its protagonist, but for anyone who wants to understand what it meant to be a medieval bishop. Katherine Harvey in The Medieval Review , April 2020.

this is a valuable addition to the flourishing field of Grosseteste studies, combining in-depth knowledge of the bishop himself (Hoskin's last book was an edition of Grosseteste's episcopal rolls) with a strong sense of the world in which he operated. As a case study of one man's approach to pastoral care, it provides a valuable counterpart to broader-based studies such as William Campbell's The Landscape of Pastoral Care in Thirteenth-Century England (Cambridge, 2018). There is also much of interest here for the historian of the medieval episcopate, an area which has experienced something of a resurgence of interest in recent years.[...] Although Grosseteste was in many respects an exceptional bishop (or at least an exceptionally-well documented one), his experiences were far from unique, and raise important questions about the nature and functions of episcopacy in thirteenth-century England. Consequently, Robert Grosseteste and the 13th-Century Diocese of Lincoln is a must-read not only for fans of its protagonist, but for anyone who wants to understand what it meant to be a medieval bishop. Katherine Harvey in The Medieval Review , April 2020. ''Philippa Hoskin's new book on Robert Grosseteste allows the reader to enter into the dynamics of the diocese of Lincoln from a very particular angle. Grosseteste, one of the most significant bishops of medieval Europe, has been much studied by important scholars such as D. A. Callus, James McEvoy, R. W. Southern, Joseph Goering, and F. A. C. Mantello. This book is distinctive, however, in that Hoskin plugs the gap between the scholarly works of Robert Grosseteste and his practical actions within the diocese of Lincoln. In the book, Hoskin attempts to establish a bridge between his intellectual mind and his practical deeds'' [...] ''Philippa Hoskin's book, based on exemplary research of different aspects of Robert Grosseteste's life and works, offers a well-argued case linking the two most important aspects of Robert Grosseteste: his intellectual acumen in studying and writing and his practical abilities and skills in working within the diocese. Grosseteste comes across as a man of high intellect and wholly committed to the parishes and the diocese of Lincoln''. Angelo M. Silvestri, in Journal of British Studies, 59 (2), April 2020.

Author Information

Philippa Hoskin, D.Phil. (1996), Oxford University, is Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln. She has published extensively on the medieval English Church, including an edition of the administrative rolls of Robert Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln 1235-1253.

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