I am Dean, Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Northern British Columbia. My research interests include medieval canon law, papal legation, the Roman Church and the papacy, monastic exemption, and religious history more generally. Phone: +61 7 3365 6363 Address: St Lucia Brisbane, Queensland Australia 4072
Canon law is an unavoidable theme for medieval historians. It intersects with every aspect of med... more Canon law is an unavoidable theme for medieval historians. It intersects with every aspect of medieval life and society, and at one point or another, every medievalist works on the law. In this book, Kriston Rennie looks at the early medieval origins and development of canon law though a social history framework, with a view to making sense of a rich and complex legal system and culture, and an equally rich scholarly tradition. It was in the early Middle Ages that the ancient traditions, norms, customs, and rationale of the Church were shaped into legislative procedure. The structures and rationale behind the law’s formulation – its fundamental purpose, reason for existence and proliferation, and methods of creation and collection – explain how the medieval Church and society was influenced and controlled. They also, as this short book argues, explain how it ultimately functioned.
This book examines the history of monastic exemption in France. It reveals an institutional story... more This book examines the history of monastic exemption in France. It reveals an institutional story of monastic freedom and protection, deeply rooted in the religious, political, social and legal culture of the early Middle Ages. Traversing many geo-political boundaries and fields of historical specialisation, the book defines the meaning and value of exemption to French monasteries between the sixth and eleventh centuries. It demonstrates how enduring relationships with the apostolic see in Rome ultimately contributed to an emerging identity of papal authority, the growth of early monasticism, Frankish politics and governance, church reform and canon law.
As the pope's alter ego, the medieval papal legate was the crucial connecting link between Rome a... more As the pope's alter ego, the medieval papal legate was the crucial connecting link between Rome and the Christian provinces. Commissioned with varying degrees of papal authority and jurisdiction, these hand-picked representatives of the Roman Church were nothing less than the administrative, legal, and institutional embodiment of papal justice, diplomacy, government, and law during the Middle Ages. By examining the origins and development of this ecclesiastical office in the early Middle Ages, this book defines the papacy's early contribution to medieval European law and society.
Presenting a pioneering inquiry into the field, The Foundations of Medieval Papal Legation demonstrates the growth of papal government and its increasing reliance on representation beyond Rome, explaining how this centralized position was achieved over time, going further to legitimize the papacy's burgeoning need for increased supervision, mediation, and communication throughout western Christendom. In so doing, it contributes to a wider administrative, legal, and institutional understanding of papal government in early medieval Europe as a whole.
Offering a rare and first-hand account of law and practice in the late eleventh century, this boo... more Offering a rare and first-hand account of law and practice in the late eleventh century, this book examines the legatine work of the most active, itinerant, and influential members of the eleventh-century church reform movement in France: Hugh (Hugo), bishop of Die (1073-82), archbishop of Lyons (1082-1106), and papal legate to Gregory VII (1075-85) and Urban II (1094-99).
In reconstructing Hugh of Die’s legatine and conciliar activity, this book offers intriguing new arguments about the many relevant and often confused issues surrounding eleventh-century legates, councils, and the law – three inextricable components of church reform and administration. Hugh’s efforts in promulgating and disseminating reform in France in the 1070s, 1080s, and 1090s were shaped significantly by his council activity. The manner in which he conducted this business sheds light on every aspect of his work, revealing not only his personal interpretation and application of the law, but also his vigour in suppressing clerical marriage, the selling of church offices, lay investiture, and the gravity with which he conducted his duties as legate. New light is cast on Hugh’s personality and achievements by looking at the nature and influence of his legatine and legal activity in France, qualities that can only be appreciated in light of the ferment of activity during Gregory VII’s pontificate. The dialectical relationship between reform and law in eleventh-century France is a recurring theme throughout this investigation, illustrating in more demonstrable terms the flow of ecclesiastical business between the papal court in Rome and France and vice versa.
This article examines the ceremonial reception of papal legates in the early Middle Ages. It offe... more This article examines the ceremonial reception of papal legates in the early Middle Ages. It offers a precise, distinctive and normative portrait of their ritualised practice well before the existence of written canonical rules and procedures. The customs, principles, gestures and symbols conditioning legatine activities in this historical era became necessary pre-conditions to political communication, interaction and exchange. Their expression and representation, it is argued, help to explain the manifestation of Roman authority in distant Christian provinces, its varied meaning to contemporaries and the formative rules of political governance and diplomacy.
This paper examines the normative character of monastic exemption in the Latin West, that is to s... more This paper examines the normative character of monastic exemption in the Latin West, that is to say, the negotiated interaction between monasteries and bishops. In tracing the formation and development of exemption privileges between the fifth and ninth centuries, it argues for an emerging pattern under the Franks that proved central to developing notions of spiritual and physical protection. As a consequence of this novel mentality, a monastery’s relationship with its surrounding environment became characterised by greater degrees of freedom and protection than ever before. This unique transformation took time to develop, however, forging alliances that effectively shifted individual monasteries away from their Frankish protectorate towards the spiritual centre in Rome. The consequences of this landmark shift, it is argued, benefited the early medieval papacy in its burgeoning claims of centralized power and legitimacy.
With the implementation of a ‘new’ History curriculum across Australian schools, many students an... more With the implementation of a ‘new’ History curriculum across Australian schools, many students and their teachers are being introduced to the Middle Ages for the first time. The implications of this intellectual focus have received very little direct attention, which begs the question of medieval history’s perceived value to Australian society. By considering the subject’s place within the wider curriculum and its grand objectives, this article conceptualizes its potential benefit to a modern Pacific nation. It is argued that medieval history holds a deserving place in educating Australian students, suggesting further its relevance and overall contribution to core national knowledge.
Why study medieval canon law? Dominated for generations by German and French historians, the fiel... more Why study medieval canon law? Dominated for generations by German and French historians, the field is frequently viewed as hyper-specialised, arcane, abstruse, and inaccessible even to scholars of medieval history and religion. Yet, as this article suggests, nothing could be further from the truth. To treat the study of medieval canon law as peripheral to medieval life and society is to ignore and misunderstand its full potential. A current revival of scholarship is transforming this general impression, bringing necessary relevance and clarity to the law's importance in the Middle Ages. By examining the current ‘state of the field’, this article argues that a renaissance in the study of medieval canon law is now taking place, the impact of which is only beginning to be felt. It examines recent developments in the study of medieval canon law between the 11th and 13th centuries, arguing that this revival of scholarship has the potential to influence our understanding of medieval Europe as a whole.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the 'Injunction of Jeremiah' (Jer. 1:10) was employed by countless ... more Throughout the Middle Ages, the 'Injunction of Jeremiah' (Jer. 1:10) was employed by countless ecclesiastical writers. Building on an established tradition, medieval contemporaries began applying the allegory of 'uprooting and destroying, building and planting' with an intentionally moral and political message. This article examines the Old Testament call narrative with a view to understanding how and why it served medieval popes and other high-ranked ecclesiastics as a political and rhetorical mechanism for legitimising ecclesiastical authority. It argues for a noticeable and deliberate shift in textual interpretation in the ninth century, after which period medieval popes and influential church figures alike marshalled the Injunction to help strengthen the centralising ideology of Rome and her bishop. The effect, it is concluded, contributed ultimately to reinforcing the papacy's claims to govern spiritual and temporal matters throughout Christian society.
Modern historians have given considerable interest and scrutiny to the political and papal circum... more Modern historians have given considerable interest and scrutiny to the political and papal circumstances surrounding Anselm of Canterbury’s exiles, casting a particular eye on the influences and events by which it was realised. Significantly less attention, however, has been given to what Sir Richard Southern has dubbed ‘the fruits of exile’, a concept expanded here to include the effective governance of the church of Canterbury from across the English Channel. Anselm’s dedication to ecclesiastical affairs in absentia, evidenced through his residence at Lyons (in Burgundy) from May 1099 to August 1100 and again from December 1103 to March 1105, is intriguing, unprecedented, and deserving of further investigation. This paper examines Anselm’s governance of Canterbury from afar, his intimate relationship with the archbishop of Lyons, and the extent of his clerical activity in Burgundy –factors which help realise the true nature of exile and friendship in the High Middle Ages.
The Turin Collection in Seven Books (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) offers considerable in... more The Turin Collection in Seven Books (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) offers considerable insight into the legal and ecclesiastical history of the late eleventh century, in which period this collection originated. Building on the work of Paul Fournier, Roger Reynolds, and Linda Fowler-Magerl, this article revisits the Turin Collection with a few objectives in mind: to expand upon its place in the late eleventh-/early twelfth-century; and, based on internal evidence, to propose some theories on its overall compilation, material organization, and use.
Die Turiner Sammlung in sieben Büchern (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) bietet bemerkenswerte Einsichten in die Rechts- und Kirchengeschichte des 11. Jahrhunderts, der Zeit, in der diese Samm-lung entstand. Aufbauend auf den Arbeiten von Paul Fournier, Roger Reynolds und Linda Fowler-Magerl untersucht die vorliegende Studie die Turiner Sammlung. Tragend sind dabei mehrere Fragen und Zielsetzungen: Es soll versucht werden, den Ort dieser Sammlung in die Phase zwischen dem späten 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert genauer zu bestimmen. Darüber hinaus werden, gestützt auf eine Analyse der Sammlung, einige Überlegungen zur Zusammenstellung, der Systematik und Benut-zung der Sammlung formuliert.
This paper examines Gregory VII’s (1073–85) evolutionary efforts to unite the Armenian Church wit... more This paper examines Gregory VII’s (1073–85) evolutionary efforts to unite the Armenian Church with Rome in the 1070s and 1080s. The pope’s changing attitude towards Armenian liturgical practices, it is argued, illustrates a broader and visionary papal outlook, revealing in turn many social, cultural, political, and doctrinal dynamics at work during his pontificate. As a consequence of this interplay, Gregory’s vested interest in the world beyond Latin Christendom becomes manifest, contributing ultimately to a more nuanced portrait of this pope and a broader historical understanding of his papacy and its governance.
Page 1. HUGH OF DIE AND THE LEGATINE OFFICE UNDER GREGORY VII: ON THE EFFECTS OF A WANING ADMINIS... more Page 1. HUGH OF DIE AND THE LEGATINE OFFICE UNDER GREGORY VII: ON THE EFFECTS OF A WANING ADMINISTRATION Under Pope Gregory VII (1073-85), church reformers came to rely on papal legates as instruments ...
Canon law is an unavoidable theme for medieval historians. It intersects with every aspect of med... more Canon law is an unavoidable theme for medieval historians. It intersects with every aspect of medieval life and society, and at one point or another, every medievalist works on the law. In this book, Kriston Rennie looks at the early medieval origins and development of canon law though a social history framework, with a view to making sense of a rich and complex legal system and culture, and an equally rich scholarly tradition. It was in the early Middle Ages that the ancient traditions, norms, customs, and rationale of the Church were shaped into legislative procedure. The structures and rationale behind the law’s formulation – its fundamental purpose, reason for existence and proliferation, and methods of creation and collection – explain how the medieval Church and society was influenced and controlled. They also, as this short book argues, explain how it ultimately functioned.
This book examines the history of monastic exemption in France. It reveals an institutional story... more This book examines the history of monastic exemption in France. It reveals an institutional story of monastic freedom and protection, deeply rooted in the religious, political, social and legal culture of the early Middle Ages. Traversing many geo-political boundaries and fields of historical specialisation, the book defines the meaning and value of exemption to French monasteries between the sixth and eleventh centuries. It demonstrates how enduring relationships with the apostolic see in Rome ultimately contributed to an emerging identity of papal authority, the growth of early monasticism, Frankish politics and governance, church reform and canon law.
As the pope's alter ego, the medieval papal legate was the crucial connecting link between Rome a... more As the pope's alter ego, the medieval papal legate was the crucial connecting link between Rome and the Christian provinces. Commissioned with varying degrees of papal authority and jurisdiction, these hand-picked representatives of the Roman Church were nothing less than the administrative, legal, and institutional embodiment of papal justice, diplomacy, government, and law during the Middle Ages. By examining the origins and development of this ecclesiastical office in the early Middle Ages, this book defines the papacy's early contribution to medieval European law and society.
Presenting a pioneering inquiry into the field, The Foundations of Medieval Papal Legation demonstrates the growth of papal government and its increasing reliance on representation beyond Rome, explaining how this centralized position was achieved over time, going further to legitimize the papacy's burgeoning need for increased supervision, mediation, and communication throughout western Christendom. In so doing, it contributes to a wider administrative, legal, and institutional understanding of papal government in early medieval Europe as a whole.
Offering a rare and first-hand account of law and practice in the late eleventh century, this boo... more Offering a rare and first-hand account of law and practice in the late eleventh century, this book examines the legatine work of the most active, itinerant, and influential members of the eleventh-century church reform movement in France: Hugh (Hugo), bishop of Die (1073-82), archbishop of Lyons (1082-1106), and papal legate to Gregory VII (1075-85) and Urban II (1094-99).
In reconstructing Hugh of Die’s legatine and conciliar activity, this book offers intriguing new arguments about the many relevant and often confused issues surrounding eleventh-century legates, councils, and the law – three inextricable components of church reform and administration. Hugh’s efforts in promulgating and disseminating reform in France in the 1070s, 1080s, and 1090s were shaped significantly by his council activity. The manner in which he conducted this business sheds light on every aspect of his work, revealing not only his personal interpretation and application of the law, but also his vigour in suppressing clerical marriage, the selling of church offices, lay investiture, and the gravity with which he conducted his duties as legate. New light is cast on Hugh’s personality and achievements by looking at the nature and influence of his legatine and legal activity in France, qualities that can only be appreciated in light of the ferment of activity during Gregory VII’s pontificate. The dialectical relationship between reform and law in eleventh-century France is a recurring theme throughout this investigation, illustrating in more demonstrable terms the flow of ecclesiastical business between the papal court in Rome and France and vice versa.
This article examines the ceremonial reception of papal legates in the early Middle Ages. It offe... more This article examines the ceremonial reception of papal legates in the early Middle Ages. It offers a precise, distinctive and normative portrait of their ritualised practice well before the existence of written canonical rules and procedures. The customs, principles, gestures and symbols conditioning legatine activities in this historical era became necessary pre-conditions to political communication, interaction and exchange. Their expression and representation, it is argued, help to explain the manifestation of Roman authority in distant Christian provinces, its varied meaning to contemporaries and the formative rules of political governance and diplomacy.
This paper examines the normative character of monastic exemption in the Latin West, that is to s... more This paper examines the normative character of monastic exemption in the Latin West, that is to say, the negotiated interaction between monasteries and bishops. In tracing the formation and development of exemption privileges between the fifth and ninth centuries, it argues for an emerging pattern under the Franks that proved central to developing notions of spiritual and physical protection. As a consequence of this novel mentality, a monastery’s relationship with its surrounding environment became characterised by greater degrees of freedom and protection than ever before. This unique transformation took time to develop, however, forging alliances that effectively shifted individual monasteries away from their Frankish protectorate towards the spiritual centre in Rome. The consequences of this landmark shift, it is argued, benefited the early medieval papacy in its burgeoning claims of centralized power and legitimacy.
With the implementation of a ‘new’ History curriculum across Australian schools, many students an... more With the implementation of a ‘new’ History curriculum across Australian schools, many students and their teachers are being introduced to the Middle Ages for the first time. The implications of this intellectual focus have received very little direct attention, which begs the question of medieval history’s perceived value to Australian society. By considering the subject’s place within the wider curriculum and its grand objectives, this article conceptualizes its potential benefit to a modern Pacific nation. It is argued that medieval history holds a deserving place in educating Australian students, suggesting further its relevance and overall contribution to core national knowledge.
Why study medieval canon law? Dominated for generations by German and French historians, the fiel... more Why study medieval canon law? Dominated for generations by German and French historians, the field is frequently viewed as hyper-specialised, arcane, abstruse, and inaccessible even to scholars of medieval history and religion. Yet, as this article suggests, nothing could be further from the truth. To treat the study of medieval canon law as peripheral to medieval life and society is to ignore and misunderstand its full potential. A current revival of scholarship is transforming this general impression, bringing necessary relevance and clarity to the law's importance in the Middle Ages. By examining the current ‘state of the field’, this article argues that a renaissance in the study of medieval canon law is now taking place, the impact of which is only beginning to be felt. It examines recent developments in the study of medieval canon law between the 11th and 13th centuries, arguing that this revival of scholarship has the potential to influence our understanding of medieval Europe as a whole.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the 'Injunction of Jeremiah' (Jer. 1:10) was employed by countless ... more Throughout the Middle Ages, the 'Injunction of Jeremiah' (Jer. 1:10) was employed by countless ecclesiastical writers. Building on an established tradition, medieval contemporaries began applying the allegory of 'uprooting and destroying, building and planting' with an intentionally moral and political message. This article examines the Old Testament call narrative with a view to understanding how and why it served medieval popes and other high-ranked ecclesiastics as a political and rhetorical mechanism for legitimising ecclesiastical authority. It argues for a noticeable and deliberate shift in textual interpretation in the ninth century, after which period medieval popes and influential church figures alike marshalled the Injunction to help strengthen the centralising ideology of Rome and her bishop. The effect, it is concluded, contributed ultimately to reinforcing the papacy's claims to govern spiritual and temporal matters throughout Christian society.
Modern historians have given considerable interest and scrutiny to the political and papal circum... more Modern historians have given considerable interest and scrutiny to the political and papal circumstances surrounding Anselm of Canterbury’s exiles, casting a particular eye on the influences and events by which it was realised. Significantly less attention, however, has been given to what Sir Richard Southern has dubbed ‘the fruits of exile’, a concept expanded here to include the effective governance of the church of Canterbury from across the English Channel. Anselm’s dedication to ecclesiastical affairs in absentia, evidenced through his residence at Lyons (in Burgundy) from May 1099 to August 1100 and again from December 1103 to March 1105, is intriguing, unprecedented, and deserving of further investigation. This paper examines Anselm’s governance of Canterbury from afar, his intimate relationship with the archbishop of Lyons, and the extent of his clerical activity in Burgundy –factors which help realise the true nature of exile and friendship in the High Middle Ages.
The Turin Collection in Seven Books (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) offers considerable in... more The Turin Collection in Seven Books (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) offers considerable insight into the legal and ecclesiastical history of the late eleventh century, in which period this collection originated. Building on the work of Paul Fournier, Roger Reynolds, and Linda Fowler-Magerl, this article revisits the Turin Collection with a few objectives in mind: to expand upon its place in the late eleventh-/early twelfth-century; and, based on internal evidence, to propose some theories on its overall compilation, material organization, and use.
Die Turiner Sammlung in sieben Büchern (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) bietet bemerkenswerte Einsichten in die Rechts- und Kirchengeschichte des 11. Jahrhunderts, der Zeit, in der diese Samm-lung entstand. Aufbauend auf den Arbeiten von Paul Fournier, Roger Reynolds und Linda Fowler-Magerl untersucht die vorliegende Studie die Turiner Sammlung. Tragend sind dabei mehrere Fragen und Zielsetzungen: Es soll versucht werden, den Ort dieser Sammlung in die Phase zwischen dem späten 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert genauer zu bestimmen. Darüber hinaus werden, gestützt auf eine Analyse der Sammlung, einige Überlegungen zur Zusammenstellung, der Systematik und Benut-zung der Sammlung formuliert.
This paper examines Gregory VII’s (1073–85) evolutionary efforts to unite the Armenian Church wit... more This paper examines Gregory VII’s (1073–85) evolutionary efforts to unite the Armenian Church with Rome in the 1070s and 1080s. The pope’s changing attitude towards Armenian liturgical practices, it is argued, illustrates a broader and visionary papal outlook, revealing in turn many social, cultural, political, and doctrinal dynamics at work during his pontificate. As a consequence of this interplay, Gregory’s vested interest in the world beyond Latin Christendom becomes manifest, contributing ultimately to a more nuanced portrait of this pope and a broader historical understanding of his papacy and its governance.
Page 1. HUGH OF DIE AND THE LEGATINE OFFICE UNDER GREGORY VII: ON THE EFFECTS OF A WANING ADMINIS... more Page 1. HUGH OF DIE AND THE LEGATINE OFFICE UNDER GREGORY VII: ON THE EFFECTS OF A WANING ADMINISTRATION Under Pope Gregory VII (1073-85), church reformers came to rely on papal legates as instruments ...
In the last quarter of the eleventh century, the Roman Church had a capable ruler and defender in... more In the last quarter of the eleventh century, the Roman Church had a capable ruler and defender in Pope Gregory VII (1073–85). Despite his otherwise charismatic authority, however, Gregory's ability to extend his influence beyond the papacy's more immediate control of Rome and the Campagna was limited. Filling this administrative and legal gap was the emerging office of legation, developing ad hoc under Gregory VII in matters of reform and law. Papal legates such as the French representative, Bishop Hugh of Die (later archbishop of Lyons), became crucial figures in the machinery of papal government. They assumed a vital role in the transmission of reforming legislation north of the Alps while effectively widening Gregory VII's ‘friendship network’ to encompass influential members of the local and regional clerical and lay elite. With the assistance of this ecclesiastical office, moreover, the papacy significantly enhanced its opportunity for social contacts, thereby strengthening its hold on the more distant provinces of Western Christendom. By focusing on existing and growing social networks in late eleventh-century France, this article examines Hugh of Die's role as an instrument of church reform, and assesses this legate's impact on the larger papal reform initiative in France.
Confronted with the need for scholarly criteria in properly defining the ad hoc papal institution... more Confronted with the need for scholarly criteria in properly defining the ad hoc papal institution existent under Pope Gregory VII (1073–85), this paper seeks to clarify the title, office, and jurisdiction of the eleventh-century reforming legate. Discussing the Roman origins of this office through to the twelfth century – taking into account the political, ecclesiastical and legal constraints of the period – questions are raised concerning the extent and nature of legatine authority (especially as the reformers understood it). Contemporary criteria are unclear, but modern scholars can infer some regularities from Gregory VII's Register and other contemporary sources as to how this office operated in the last quarter of the eleventh century, and ultimately, to understand more clearly how reform was being implemented in the provinces.
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Books by Kriston Rennie
It was in the early Middle Ages that the ancient traditions, norms, customs, and rationale of the Church were shaped into legislative procedure. The structures and rationale behind the law’s formulation – its fundamental purpose, reason for existence and proliferation, and methods of creation and collection – explain how the medieval Church and society was influenced and controlled. They also, as this short book argues, explain how it ultimately functioned.
Presenting a pioneering inquiry into the field, The Foundations of Medieval Papal Legation demonstrates the growth of papal government and its increasing reliance on representation beyond Rome, explaining how this centralized position was achieved over time, going further to legitimize the papacy's burgeoning need for increased supervision, mediation, and communication throughout western Christendom. In so doing, it contributes to a wider administrative, legal, and institutional understanding of papal government in early medieval Europe as a whole.
In reconstructing Hugh of Die’s legatine and conciliar activity, this book offers intriguing new arguments about the many relevant and often confused issues surrounding eleventh-century legates, councils, and the law – three inextricable components of church reform and administration. Hugh’s efforts in promulgating and disseminating reform in France in the 1070s, 1080s, and 1090s were shaped significantly by his council activity. The manner in which he conducted this business sheds light on every aspect of his work, revealing not only his personal interpretation and application of the law, but also his vigour in suppressing clerical marriage, the selling of church offices, lay investiture, and the gravity with which he conducted his duties as legate. New light is cast on Hugh’s personality and achievements by looking at the nature and influence of his legatine and legal activity in France, qualities that can only be appreciated in light of the ferment of activity during Gregory VII’s pontificate. The dialectical relationship between reform and law in eleventh-century France is a recurring theme throughout this investigation, illustrating in more demonstrable terms the flow of ecclesiastical business between the papal court in Rome and France and vice versa.
Articles by Kriston Rennie
Die Turiner Sammlung in sieben Büchern (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) bietet bemerkenswerte Einsichten in die Rechts- und Kirchengeschichte des 11. Jahrhunderts, der Zeit, in der diese Samm-lung entstand. Aufbauend auf den Arbeiten von Paul Fournier, Roger Reynolds und Linda Fowler-Magerl untersucht die vorliegende Studie die Turiner Sammlung. Tragend sind dabei mehrere Fragen und Zielsetzungen: Es soll versucht werden, den Ort dieser Sammlung in die Phase zwischen dem späten 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert genauer zu bestimmen. Darüber hinaus werden, gestützt auf eine Analyse der Sammlung, einige Überlegungen zur Zusammenstellung, der Systematik und Benut-zung der Sammlung formuliert.
It was in the early Middle Ages that the ancient traditions, norms, customs, and rationale of the Church were shaped into legislative procedure. The structures and rationale behind the law’s formulation – its fundamental purpose, reason for existence and proliferation, and methods of creation and collection – explain how the medieval Church and society was influenced and controlled. They also, as this short book argues, explain how it ultimately functioned.
Presenting a pioneering inquiry into the field, The Foundations of Medieval Papal Legation demonstrates the growth of papal government and its increasing reliance on representation beyond Rome, explaining how this centralized position was achieved over time, going further to legitimize the papacy's burgeoning need for increased supervision, mediation, and communication throughout western Christendom. In so doing, it contributes to a wider administrative, legal, and institutional understanding of papal government in early medieval Europe as a whole.
In reconstructing Hugh of Die’s legatine and conciliar activity, this book offers intriguing new arguments about the many relevant and often confused issues surrounding eleventh-century legates, councils, and the law – three inextricable components of church reform and administration. Hugh’s efforts in promulgating and disseminating reform in France in the 1070s, 1080s, and 1090s were shaped significantly by his council activity. The manner in which he conducted this business sheds light on every aspect of his work, revealing not only his personal interpretation and application of the law, but also his vigour in suppressing clerical marriage, the selling of church offices, lay investiture, and the gravity with which he conducted his duties as legate. New light is cast on Hugh’s personality and achievements by looking at the nature and influence of his legatine and legal activity in France, qualities that can only be appreciated in light of the ferment of activity during Gregory VII’s pontificate. The dialectical relationship between reform and law in eleventh-century France is a recurring theme throughout this investigation, illustrating in more demonstrable terms the flow of ecclesiastical business between the papal court in Rome and France and vice versa.
Die Turiner Sammlung in sieben Büchern (Turin, Ms Univ. D. IV. 33, ff.1-165v) bietet bemerkenswerte Einsichten in die Rechts- und Kirchengeschichte des 11. Jahrhunderts, der Zeit, in der diese Samm-lung entstand. Aufbauend auf den Arbeiten von Paul Fournier, Roger Reynolds und Linda Fowler-Magerl untersucht die vorliegende Studie die Turiner Sammlung. Tragend sind dabei mehrere Fragen und Zielsetzungen: Es soll versucht werden, den Ort dieser Sammlung in die Phase zwischen dem späten 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert genauer zu bestimmen. Darüber hinaus werden, gestützt auf eine Analyse der Sammlung, einige Überlegungen zur Zusammenstellung, der Systematik und Benut-zung der Sammlung formuliert.