The Cambridge History of the Papacy: Volume 2, The Governance of the Church

Highlights developments and the differences between the first and second millennium of the papacy.

Joëlle Rollo-Koster (Edited by), Robert A. Ventresca (Edited by), Melodie H. Eichbauer (Edited by), Miles Pattenden (Edited by)

9781108493826, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 March 2025

744 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 4 cm, 1.3 kg

'All contributions are knowledgeable and critically written at the highest international level.' Michael Borgolte, Historische Zeitschrift

This volume engages with the centrality of the popes within the Catholic Church and the claim of papal authority as it was exercised through the institution's various governing instruments. Addressing the history of the papacy in the longue durée, it highlights developments and the differences between the first and second millennium of the papacy. The chapters bring nuance to older historiographical models of papal supremacy, focusing on how apostolic primacy was contested and re-negotiated, and how the contours of power relationships shifted between center and periphery. The volume draws attention to questions about papal supremacy across time, place, and transnational lines; the function of law in the exercise of papal authority; the governance of the church in the form of the Curia, synods, and regional and ecumenical councils; the governance of the Papal States; the management of finances and church-state relations; and the relationship between papal temporal and spiritual authority.

General Introduction Joëlle Rollo-Koster, Robert A. Ventresca, Melodie Eichbauer and Miles Pattenden
Part I. The Pope within the Church: 1. Vicar of Christ (c.1050–c.1300) Jessalynn Bird
2. The Pope, the archdeacon and the clergy: a competition John Moorhead
3. From papal absolutism to Vatican II Christian Sorrel
4. Vatican II and its legacy Gilles Routhier
5. Rekindling collegiality: the Synod of Bishops since Vatican II Massimo Faggioli
Part II. The Roman Curia: 6. Putting the spoke(s) in: curial centrality and local agency in the pre-Reformation church Robert Swanson
7. The College of Cardinals Miles Pattenden
8. The secretariat of state Roberto Regoli
9. The papal penitentiary Peter Clarke
10. 'Whoever is sent from another': legates as instruments of papal government Kriston Rennie
11. Inquisition, Holy Office, and the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Vincenzo Lavenia
12. Nepotism and Roman micro-policy Wolfgang Reinhard
Part III. Canon Law: 13. The medieval papacy and canon law Kenneth Pennington
14. Canon law in the early middle ages Greta Austin
15. Gratian's Decretum: the transmission and fluidity of legal knowledge in the twelfth century Melodie H. Eichbauer
16. Papal decretals Anne J. Duggan
17. Papal law in the English church: post-reformation Anglican jurisprudence Norman Doe
18. The Codes of Canon Law (1917
1983
1990) John Beal
19. The Pope in the two Latin codes (1917 and 1983) – current status and discussion of possible developments Peter Platen
Part IV. Finance: 20. Papal finances in the middle ages Benedict Wiedemann
21. Papal finances in the early modern period FrancescoGuidi-Bruscoli
Part V. Papal states
22. Popes and the papal state to 1305 Thomas F. X. Noble
23. Papal warfare in the fourteenth century Christophe Masson
24. The Borgias Catherine Fletcher
25. Popes and the papal states (1500–1800) Irene Fosi
26. The popes and the government of the papal states, 1800–1870 Christoper Korten

Subject Areas: Church history [HRCC2]