England and the Papacy in the Early Middle Ages: Papal Privileges in European Perspective, c. 680-1073

England and the Papacy in the Early Middle Ages examines the interactions between England and the papacy using English papal privileges from 680-1073. It offers new insights into Anglo-Saxon studies, legal and documentary history, papal history, and early medieval Europe.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 29 August 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

England and the Papacy in the Early Middle Ages: Papal Privileges in European Perspective, c. 680-1073, is a groundbreaking book that offers the first dedicated, book-length study of the interactions between England and the papacy throughout the early middle ages. The book takes as its lens the extant English record of papal privileges, which consists of legal diplomas drawn up on meters-long scrolls of Egyptian papyrus that were acquired by pilgrim-petitioners within the city of Rome and then brought back to Britain to negotiate local claims and conflicts. By using these still-understudied papal documents, the book reassesses what we know of the worlds of Bede, the Mercian Supremacy, the West Saxon Kingdom of the English, and the Norman Conquest, locating them within a comparative, Europe-wide setting. The book makes important new contributions to Anglo-Saxon studies, legal and documentary history, papal history, and the study of early medieval Europe more widely. It also includes an annotated handlist of the corpus of English papal privileges up to 1073, which serves as a critical reference work for future research in the field.

The book explores the reasons why English petitioners chose to invoke the distant authority of Rome in this way, and how this compares to what was taking place elsewhere in Europe. It examines the success of these efforts and how they were remembered in later centuries. The book utilizes these still-understudied papal documents to reassess our understanding of these historical periods, placing them within a broader comparative framework. By doing so, it offers valuable insights into the complex relationships between England, the papacy, and other European powers during this crucial time.

The book is a valuable resource for scholars and students of early medieval history, legal history, papal history, and the study of medieval Europe more broadly. It provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the papal privileges and their significance in the early middle ages, and it sheds light on the complex and multifaceted relationships between England, the papacy, and other European powers.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 146 x 225 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198887058