The Formation of Papal Authority in Late Antique Italy
Roman Bishops and the Domestic Sphere
- Author: Kristina Sessa, Ohio State University
- Date Published: July 2014
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107423480
Paperback
Other available formats:
Hardback, eBook
Looking for an inspection copy?
This title is not currently available on inspection
-
This book is the first cultural history of papal authority in late antiquity. While most traditional histories posit a 'rise of the papacy' and examine popes as politicians, theologians and civic leaders, Kristina Sessa focuses on the late Roman household and its critical role in the development of the Roman church from c.350–600. She argues that Rome's bishops adopted the ancient elite household as a model of good government for leading the church. Central to this phenomenon was the classical and biblical figure of the steward, the householder's appointed agent who oversaw his property and people. As stewards of God, Roman bishops endeavored to exercise moral and material influence within both the pope's own administration and the households of Italy's clergy and lay elites. This original and nuanced study charts their manifold interactions with late Roman households and shows how bishops used domestic knowledge as the basis for establishing their authority as Italy's singular religious leaders.
Read more- The first cultural history of papacy and pope in late antiquity
- An original history of ancient Christianity and private life
- Provides a new interpretive paradigm for studying bishops and their authority in late antiquity
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: July 2014
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107423480
- length: 340 pages
- dimensions: 229 x 152 x 19 mm
- weight: 0.5kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Introduction: household management and the Bishop of Rome
1. The late Roman household in Italy
2. From dominion to dispensatio: stewardship as an elite ideal
3. Primus cultor: episcopal householding in theory and practice
4. Overseeing the overseer: bishops and the lay household
5. Cultivating the clerical household: marriage, property and inheritance
6. Mistrusting the bishop: succession, stewardship and sex in the Laurentian schism
7. The household and the bishop: authority, competition and cooperation in the gesta martyrum
Conclusions.
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email lecturers@cambridge.org
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×