Power, politics and episcopal authority : the bishops of Cremona and Lincoln in the Middle Ages (1066-1340) / Angelo Silvestri.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Silvestri, Angelo, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Catholic Church. Diocese of Lincoln (England)--History.

Catholic Church.

Catholic Church. Diocese of Cremona (Italy)--History.

Catholic Church. Diocese of Cremona (Italy).

Catholic Church. Diocese of Lincoln (England).

Church and state.

History.

Lincoln (England)--Church history.

Lincoln (England).

Cremona (Italy)--Church history.

Cremona (Italy).

Church and state--England--Lincoln--History--To 1500.

Church and state--Italy--Cremona--History--To 1500.

Italy--Cremona.

England--Lincoln.

Physical Description:

ix, 299 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Newcastle upon Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015.

Summary:

The bishops of the 11th-14th centuries were key figures both within the church hierarchy and within state organisation across Europe. In addition to being the primary religious authorities within their dioceses, they were also often local or national potentates in their own right, judges, feudal lords, warriors or advisers to kings and other rulers. Despite this, their nature and the extent of their local power are often difficult to define. Furthermore, the nature of their power has changed over time, making their role and their authority extremely fluid. It is impossible to completely understand the history of the medieval church without understanding how bishops' control was exercised in the diocese, and in the city. This book assesses the differences, shifts and changes in the power of the bishop in the cities and the dioceses of Lincoln and Cremona from the middle of the 11th century to the mid-14th century. Lincoln, with the biggest medieval diocese in England and with its "unique series of bishops such as Hugh of Wells, Hugh of Avalon, Robert Grosseteste and Oliver Sutton, represents a substantial example to study in order to understand why and how the power of the bishop changed. On the other hand Cremona, with its unique political role during the central medieval centuries and with bishops of the calibre of Oberto and Sicardo, epitomizes the struggle for power and authority the bishops had to face in a communal Italian city. The comparison between the bishop's powers highlights in great detail both the similarities and the differences between the roles and functions of the prelates in the two cities, as indicated by the available evidence and by the questions asked by historians. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 The Dimensions of Episcopal Power in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries

Chapter 1 Episcopal Authority in England and Italy 14

1.1 Bishops of Lincoln and Cremona: mid-eleventh to mid-twelfth century

1.2 The political power of the bishops

1.3 The military power of the bishops

1.4 Economic power and control of the dioceses

Chapter 2 Restrictions on Episcopal Power 57

2.1 Political opposition to the bishops

2.2 The declining military power of the bishops

2.3 Challenges from within the diocese

Part 2 'Politicized' Religion versus Episcopal Tradition

Chapter 3 Power and Appeasement 88

3.1 Bishops of Lincoln and Cremona: mid-twelfth to mid-thirteenth century

3.2 Bishop Sicardo and Hugh of Avalon: the paths diverge

3.3 Robert Grosseteste's approach to politics

Chapter 4 Holding and Crossing the Line 129

4.1 The relationship between the bishops and the chapter

4.2 Italian political religion and English religious policy

4.3 The bishops in their dioceses in the wake of the Lateran Council (1200-1253)

Part 3 Standing and Falling: The Outcome in Lincoln and Cremona

Chapter 5 Decline and Fall: The Bishop at Cremona 178

5.1 The tide changed

5.2 The bishop in crisis: steady descent through the power of factions

5.3 The end of the independent commune

Chapter 6 Lincoln: The Legacy of Grosseteste 215

6.1 Origins and careers

6.2 The bishops' deeds in relations to the Cathedral Chapter

6.3 The bishop in his diocese

6.4 Politics and Royal Service

6.5 The Episcopate of Henry Burghersh.

ISBN:

9781443870658

144387065X

OCLC:

904268767

Publisher Number:

99961610278