The Clerical Cosmos: ecclesiastical power, culture, and society, c. 900 to c. 1075

This informal gathering will focus on clerical life in Latin Europe, from c.900 to c.1075.  Our aim is to explore the period on its own terms, rather than within more familiar narratives of a long sunset of the Carolingian world, or as a precursor to the Gregorian papacy and twelfth-century developments.  We will seek to examine concepts such as ‘renaissance’ and ‘reform’, the roles of France and Germany in wider historiography, and the distinction between monastic and cathedral communities, bringing together work on both clerics’ social-political activities and their intellectual lives.  Presentations will focus on France and Germany, Italy and Spain, but discussion will be of interest to those working on all areas of Latin Europe.

Speakers:

• Richard Allen (Oxford), ‘The archbishops of Rouen, 942-1054/5, reconsidered’.
• Julia Barrow (Nottingham), ‘Boy Clerics 900-1075’.
• Jon Jarrett (Cambridge), 'Dilettante or Politician: Count-Bishop Miro of Girona (970-984) and his intellectual cosmos'.
• Theo Riches (Münster), 'Looking Back at a Europe of Bishops'.
• Dominik Waßenhoven (Bayreuth), 'Episcopal claims and self-perception during royal successions in the Ottonian-Salian kingdom'.
• Simon Williams (Liverpool), 'Preachers, Rebels and Courtiers: The Representation of Bishops in Liudprand of Cremona’s Antapodosis'.

Respondents:

• Sarah Hamilton (Exeter),
• Conrad Leyser (Oxford),
• Henry Mayr-Harting (Oxford),
• John Nightingale (Oxford).

Time: 10:30am — 5:30pm

Supported by the Oxford Centre for Medieval History