The King’s Bishops: The Politics of Patronage in England and Normandy, 1066–1216 (The New Middle Ages)

This is the first detailed comparative study of patronage as an instrument of power in the relations between kings and bishops in England and Normandy after the Conquest. Esteemed medievalist Everett U. Crosby considers new perspectives of medieval state-building and the vexed relations between secular and ecclesiastical authority. Front Matter....Pages i-xviii Introduction....Pages 1-4 The Bishop Sets Forth....Pages 5-16 Principles of Authority....Pages 17-33 Episcopal Origins....Pages 35-49 A Network of Nephews....Pages 51-58 Structures of Power in England....Pages 59-189 Structures of Power in Normandy....Pages 191-253 The King’s Bishop....Pages 255-270 Policy and Patronage....Pages 271-278 Back Matter....Pages 279-519 From the earliest days of the organized Christian community, the bishop was the most important local official, a pivotal figure who discharged both secular and spiritual functions. As in most political arrangements, his appointment meant a transfer of power from one position of authority to another, while his tenure in office revealed the different ways in which his influence could be felt