This account of medieval philanthropy books at the late medieval aristocracy as a social, rather than a political group, and analyses an aspect of their voluntary behaviour, their gift giving to the Church.

Joel T. Rosenthal received a B.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Since 1964 he has taught history and social science at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he is now Associate Professor of History.