The Proprietary Church in the Medieval West [Paperback]

This book examines in what ways and how far medieval churches were treated as items of property. It ranges over most of Western Europe, from beginnings in the late Roman Empire and post-Roman kingdoms, into the Carolingian empire and its neighbours and successor states; and through the Gregorian reform, up to the late twelfth century when property in churches was patchily superseded by the canon-law right of patronage. The approach is as much social and religious as legal and administrative, and explores ideas and assumptions as well as practical exploitation and property dealings.

Part I: Beginnings
1. The Roman Empire and Post-Roman Kingdoms
2. A New Stage: Bavaria, Alemania, and Lombard Italy, Mid-Eighth to Mid-Ninth Century
3. The Converging of Private and Parish Churches
4. The Question of Origins
5. Early Monasteries: Their Founders and Abbotts
6. Some Non-Frankish Patterns of Family Interest in Monasteries
7. Transition to Outside Lordship of Monasteries
8. The Emergence of Bishop's Lordship over Monasteries
9. The Emergence of Lay Ruler's Lordship over Monasteries
Part II: Lordship over Higher Churches, Ninth to Eleventh Centuries
10. Kings and Princes
11. Nobles other than Founder's Heirs
12. Noble Founders and their Heirs
13. Great Churches as Lords of Monasteries
Part III: Lower Churches as Property, Ninth to Eleventh Centuries
14. Lesser Churches' Resources in Lands and other Possessions
15. Lesser Churches' Resources in Tithes and Offerings
16. Proprietors' Arrangements with their Priests
17. Lay Proprietors
18. Priests as Proprietors
19. Higher Churches as Proprietors
20. Some Proprietary Elements in a Bishop's Authority
Part IV: Ideas, Opinion, Change
21. The Juridical Condition of Churches
22. Legislation and Reforming Opinion
23. Monastic Reform: Lordship and Liberty
24. Gregorian Reform
25.l“O