The mirror of true penitence / Jacopo Passavanti ; translated by Michael Sherberg

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Passavanti, Jacopo, approximately 1297-1357, author.

Contributor:

Sherberg, Michael, translator.

Series:

Toronto Italian studies

Standardized Title:

Specchio della vera penitenzia. English

Language:

English

Italian

Subjects (All):

Repentance--Catholic Church--Early works to 1800.

Repentance.

Christian life--Catholic authors--Early works to 1800.

Christian life.

Repentance in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Toronto ; Buffalo ; London : University of Toronto Press, 2026

Language Note:

Text in English; translated from the Italian

Summary:

"Jacopo Passavanti: The Mirror of True Penitence presents a complete English translation of Jacopo Passavanti’s unfinished summa on penitence – an essential yet often overlooked work of 14th-century religious thought. Based on his 1354 Lenten sermons at the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, this book organizes and expands Passavanti’s teachings into a structured guide on sin, confession, and repentance, making them accessible beyond the fleeting moment of oral delivery. Written in vernacular Italian rather than Latin, this work reflects the growing importance of Tuscan as a literary and intellectual language, placing Passavanti among the key figures shaping Florence’s cultural evolution. His clear, engaging prose blends medieval Scholasticicism with vivid storytelling, using historical references and familiar exempla to illustrate moral teachings. A crucial addition to medieval studies, this translation brings Passavanti’s voice to modern readers, illuminating a pivotal moment in Florence’s spiritual and cultural history."-- Provided by publisher

Contents:

Introduction: the man in the mirror

Bibliography

Key to abbreviations

The mirror of true penitence. Prologue

First distinction

Second distinction

Third distinction

Fourth distinction

Fifth distinction

Here begins the treatise on pride

Here we present the treatise on humility

Here we begin the treatise on vainglory

Notes:

Translation of: Lo specchio della vera penitenzia

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from PDF title page (De Gruyter Brill, viewed July 21, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Passavanti, Jacopo, approximately 1297-1357. Specchio della vera penitenzia. English. Mirror of true penitence.

ISBN:

9781487563141

1487563140

9781487563158

1487563159

OCLC:

1544852159

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license