Liturgy and Society in Early Medieval Rome - 9780367600822

Taylor & Francis

The liturgy, the public worship of the Catholic Church, was crucial in forging the society of early medieval Rome, in that it oriented Roman society to God and fostered the dominance of the clergy. This study places the liturgy centre stage, filling a gap in research on early medieval Rome and demonstrating the utility of investigating how it funct > The liturgy, the public worship of the Catholic Church, was a crucial factor in forging the society of early medieval Rome. As the Roman Empire dissolved, a new world emerged as Christian bishops stepped into the power vacuum left by the dismantling of the Empire. Among these potentates, none was more important than the bishop of Rome, the pope. The documents, archaeology, and architecture that issued forth from papal Rome in the seventh and eighth centuries preserve a precious glimpse into novel societal patterns. The underexploited liturgical sources in particular enrich and complicate our historical understanding of this period. Thw