The Heretic's Apprentice: The Sixteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael (original 1989; edition 1990)

After watching the Brother Cadfael series on Netflix, I checked out a few of the books from my local library, and became an instant Ellis Peters fan. What beautiful writing! Her sentence structures release meaning with perfect timing; the rhythm of their details produces real feeling. I don't care if I can guess the solution to the mystery; these are worth reading just for the pleasure of reading. ( )

A young pilgrim arrives in the town bearing a box containing the dowry for the young man's master's daughter. No one looks in the box to see what it contains to await the arrival of the master of the house. The young pilgrim is soon charged with heresy and when his accuser is found murdered, is also charged with that crime. Brother Cadfeal has to use his wits to unravel the charges and help the young man claim his bride. ( )

Substance: As with all of the later books in the series, the mystery is fairly given, the young people are charming, and the romance is sweet. Notable mostly for clear (and sympathetic) statements about the "heretical" view of the doctrines of original sin, infant baptism, and the trinity (depressing, unfair, and inherently confusing). Features the Patripassion heresy, which follows most logically the "truth" of consubstantiation.
NOTES: p. 163: why twelfth-century heretic hunters hated each other. ( )

I would venture that this is the most theological of Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series as we learn of some early disputations on the thorny issues of predestination vs free will, the fate of unbaptized babies, the nature of the trinity and the doctrine of grace vs good works as a means of salvation. We have Elave, a young man from the town of Shrewsbury who is back home from accompanying his now dead master on a pilgrimage to Palestine. During this seven year adventure, the master shares with his young companion his thoughts on these contentious issues many of which were at odds with orthodox Catholic doctrine. Elave, with more spunk than wisdom, gives vent to his theological doubts and ends up in custody to be tried as a heretic. The murder of a family member further complicates his case but brings Brother Cadfael from the Abbey with his array of detection skills into the picture. Cadfael, along with the competent sheriff of the shire, Hugh Beringer, untangles the unhappy basis for heretical accusations and murder. The rigidity of the writings of St. Augustine and early church doctrine divides theologian and lay alike into two camps. Cadfael's position represents the more moderate view, "Nor could he accept that the number of those predestined to salvation was fixed, limited and immutable, as Augustine proclaimed, nor indeed that the fate of any man was sealed and hopeless from his birth, or why not throw away all regard for others and rob and murder and lay waste, and indulge every anarchic appetite in this world, having nothing beyond to look forward to?" The other side professed that Catholic doctrine must not give an inch and be vigorously defended to keep the church from sure fragmentation. All of this anguished wrangling transpires within the rhythm of medieval life in town and Abbey so well described by an author who is a master of character development and medieval culture. A gentle love story threads its way through the violence and bitterness to give the expected and welcome mellow ending. ( )

The usual formula, but always a delight. I am nearing the end of this series...sadly. ( )