Runaway religious in medieval England, c. 1240-1540

Book Description

In medieval England, spiritual commitment was meant to be absolute and permanent. Yet between 1240 and 1540, countless monks, canons, and friars made a different choice, abandoning their sacred vows to return to secular life without permission or dispensation.

F. Donald Logan unveils the untold stories of these "runaway religious" in the first comprehensive examination of this fascinating phenomenon. These weren't simply cases of weak faith or moral failure. The motivations ran deeper and more human than expected, from the obvious pull of worldly pleasures to subtler forces like crushing boredom within monastery walls.

The church's response was swift and severe. Excommunication awaited those who fled, while secular authorities issued hundreds of writs demanding their capture and return. Unlike the biblical prodigal son, these returning wanderers faced harsh penalties rather than celebration, subjected to stark rituals designed to mark them as sinners requiring redemption.

Logan traces how the Great Schism eventually created an unexpected market for dispensations, allowing some religious to legally transition to secular priesthood. This complex dance between spiritual calling and human nature continued until the dissolution of monasteries in the sixteenth century finally emptied the religious houses entirely.

For modern readers exploring questions of commitment, authenticity, and the tension between spiritual ideals and human reality, this historical account offers profound insights into the eternal struggle between duty and desire.