Abbatial Authority and the Writing of History in the Middle Ages

Abbatial authority was essential for monastic historical writing in the period c.500-1500, as it allowed monks to allocate resources and grant licenses to write. This book investigates how and why abbots and abbesses exercised their official authority and resources to lay the foundations for their communities' historiographical traditions. It reveals the relationship between abbatial authority and the writing of history in the Middle Ages and urges us to revise our understanding of monastic historiography.

Format: Hardback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 21 September 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The book explores the crucial role of abbatial authority in the historical writing of medieval monastic communities between c.500 and 1500. Writing history was a collaborative endeavor that played a vital part in the identity and daily life of these communities. However, it was not a regular activity that received dedicated time and resources. Each act of historical production was an extraordinary event that required meticulous planning, allocation of resources, and special permission from the monastic superior.

The monastic superior had the responsibility and privilege of allocating human and material resources to support historical writing. This involved securing workers, materials, and carving out time from the monastic routine to facilitate the writing process. The book relies on a wide range of primary evidence from across the medieval Latin West to investigate how and why abbots and abbesses exercised their official authority and resources to shape their communities' historiographical traditions.

The book showcases the abbots and abbesses as prolific authors, patrons, commissioners, project managers, and facilitators of historical narratives. They not only wrote their own accounts but also actively encouraged and enabled others within and outside their communities to engage in historical writing. By granting them resources and licenses, they played a crucial role in shaping the narratives that were recorded and preserved.

The book reveals the intimate relationship between abbatial authority and the writing of history in the Middle Ages in a way that has never been done before. It challenges our understanding of monastic historiography, its processes, and its protagonists and urges us to reevaluate our approach to medieval history in communal and institutional contexts. The book offers valuable insights into the role of monastic communities in shaping the historical record and sheds light on the complex interplay between authority, collaboration, and historical writing in the Middle Ages.

Weight: 872g
Dimension: 167 x 242 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198795377