The Indulgence

Off the Shelves at St John's Gate

20-05-2024 • 29 mins

Stephen Mossman and Hannah Agass discuss the indulgence and its importance for the Order of St John in the late Middle Ages – but what actually was an indulgence? Why were indulgences so highly prized, and yet so controversial? How did the Hospitallers transform the indulgence to make the Ottoman attack on Rhodes in 1480 into the first great mass media event of the print age?

We would love to hear from our listeners! We will be recording a special podcast at the end of the series to answer your questions. If you want to ask anything about the history of the Order, the books themselves, the Museum or anything else – or you have any other feedback for us – then please write to us at museum@sja.org.uk. We’ll do our best to answer!