ENGLISH – Dominican Brothers: Conversi, Lay, and Cooperator Friars
SPANISH – Hermanos dominicos: Conversos, legos y frailes cooperadores
FRENCH – Frères en Saint-Dominique: Frères convers, frères coopérateurs
The book “Dominican Brothers: Conversi, Lay, and Cooperator Friars” by Bro Augustine Thompson, OP, is a very valuable contribution to accounts of the history of the Order.
Originally written in English it is now also available in Spanish and French translations. Very well documented, it is the first publication of its kind, presenting the history of the Dominican brothers on their own terms, from the time of Saint Dominic to the present day.
In this sense, the book is an exceptional contribution, since the life of the Dominican brothers (called conversi, lay brothers or cooperators, depending on the period) has often remained hidden or almost unnoticed. It is not surprising, therefore, that their activity, with the occasional exception of blessed and canonised brothers, has received little or no attention in historical accounts of the Order of Preachers.
Until the 18th century, most of the clerical friars (fratres communes) also led a hidden life in the convent. Only those who were licensed to preach and the masters of theology often left the cloister. Moreover, there is a gulf that separates us from the cultural and religious sensibility of past centuries. Such a gulf can make a fair understanding of the vocation and mission of Dominican brothers in other periods of history even more difficult, which further underlines the importance of this book.
Augustine Thompson OP was born in New York in 1954 and is a brother of the province of the Holy Name in the United States of America. With a PhD in Medieval History from the University of California, he has taught Religious Studies and History, is the author of many important books and publications, and is currently President of the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto.
The links for the various editions of the book are as follows:
ENGLISH – Dominican Brothers: Conversi, Lay, and Cooperator Friars
SPANISH – Hermanos dominicos: Conversos, legos y frailes cooperadores
FRENCH – Frères en Saint-Dominique: Frères convers, frères coopérateurs
