Download or read book The Penitents' Treasury written by Robert W. Shaffern and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The granting of indulgences by the Catholic Church has long been infamous as one of the grounds for Martin Luther's revolt from Christianity in the sixteenth century. Modern scholars have usually characterized the medieval practice as a defective one. In The Penitents' Treasury, historian Robert W. Shaffern debunks this argument through a reexamination of indulgences that shows how their alleged evils have been exaggerated throughout history. This provocative volume, a necessary read for anyone interested in medieval history and the history of religion, calls for much rethinking about the state of the church on the eve of the Reformation.