Canon Law in the Age of Reforms (c. 1000 to c. 1150) (History of Medieval Canon Law)

This monograph addresses the history of canon law in Western Europe between ca. 1000 and ca. 1150, specifically the collections compiled and the councils held in that time. The main part consists of an analysis of all major collections, taking into account their formal and material sources, the social and political context of their origin, the manuscript transmission, and their reception more generally. As most collections are not available in reliable editions, a considerable part of the discussion involves the analysis of medieval manuscripts. Specialized research is available for many but not all these works, but tends to be scattered across miscellaneous publications in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish; one purpose of the book is thus to provide relatively uniform, up-to-date accounts of all major collections of the period. At the same time, the book argues that the collections are much more directly influenced by the social milieux from which they emerged, and that more groups were involved in the development of high medieval canon law than it has previously been thought. In particular, the book seeks to replace the still widely held belief that the development of canon law in the century before Gratian's Decretum (ca. 1140) was largely driven by the Reform papacy. Instead, it is crucial to take into account the contribution of bishops, monks, and other groups with often conflicting interests. Put briefly, local needs and conflicts played a considerably more important role than central (papal) 'reform', on which older scholarship has largely focused. This monograph addresses the history of canon law in Western Europebetween ca. 1000 and ca. 1150, specifically the collectionscompiled and the councils held in that time. The main part consistsof an analysis of all major collections, taking into account theirformal and material sources, the social and political context oftheir origin, the manuscript transmission, and their reception moregenerally. As most collections are not available in reliableeditions, a considerable part of the discussion involves theanalysis of medieval manuscripts. Specialized research is availablefor many but not all these works, but tends to be scattered acrossmiscellaneous publications in English, German, French, Italian, andSpanish; one purpose of the book is thus to provide relativelyuniform, up-to-date accounts of all major collections of theperiod. At the same time, the book argues that the collections aremuch more directly influenced by the social milieux from which theyemerged, and that more groups were involved in the development ofhigh medieval canon law than it has previously been thought. Inparticular, the book seeks to replace the still widely held beliefthat the development of canon law in the century before Gratian'sDecretum (ca. 1140) was largely driven by the Reformpapacy. Instead, it is crucial to take into account thecontribution of bishops, monks, and other groups with oftenconflicting interests. Put briefly, local needs and conflictsplayed a considerably more important role than central (papal)'reform', on which older scholarship has largely focused Contents 6 Preface 10 Abbreviations 14 Canonical Collections 14 Other Abbreviations 16 1. Canon Law and Canonical Collections: An Introduction 30 2. Burchard of Worms: Canon Law in a ‘Europe of Bishops’ 49 3. Monastic Canon Law 113 4. The ‘Gregorian’ Collections 215 5. The Schools of Northern France and Beyond 316 6. Papal Councils, 1049–1179: Selected Topics (by Robert Somerville) 450 7. General Conclusions 482 Bibliography 490 Primary Sources: Manuscripts 490 Primary Sources: Editions, Translations, and Calendars 491 Secondary Literature 498 Indices 540 Canonical Collections 540 Councils 545 Manuscripts 546 Papal Letters 550 General Index 552