Harrowing the Church: Gregory VII, Hugh of Die, and Religious Transformation of France in the 1070s
Location
King Building 243
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-27-2019 4:00 PM
End Date
4-27-2019 5:20 PM
Abstract
This research examines the forced removal of bishops from office in France during the papacy of Gregory VII (1073-1085) and the associated transformation of the role of papal authority in the French church and beyond. These depositions occurred at a critical moment in Latin Christian history when the authority of the Bishops of Rome, previously nominal, began to be realized fully across what is now Western Europe. By examining letters among clergy, records of church councils, and the accounts of contemporary chroniclers, I seek to find trends and commonalities among the depositions in this period, and what implications these trends hold for the French church as a whole. This is in contrast to most previous research on this topic focuses on individual cases in isolation, thus obscuring the broader picture of the revolutionary changes affecting the French church as a whole. In addition to its implications for the history of Roman Catholicism, this topic provides a fascinating case study in the creation and use of new forms of religious and institutional authority.
Keywords:
Religion, papacy, Medieval Europe, 11th Century, political authority
Recommended Citation
Schechtman-Marko, John, "Harrowing the Church: Gregory VII, Hugh of Die, and Religious Transformation of France in the 1070s" (04/27/19). Senior Symposium. 2.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/seniorsymp/2019/panel_19/2
Major
History
Advisor(s)
Ellen Wurtzel, History
Project Mentor(s)
Ellen Wurtzel, History
April 2019
Harrowing the Church: Gregory VII, Hugh of Die, and Religious Transformation of France in the 1070s
King Building 243
This research examines the forced removal of bishops from office in France during the papacy of Gregory VII (1073-1085) and the associated transformation of the role of papal authority in the French church and beyond. These depositions occurred at a critical moment in Latin Christian history when the authority of the Bishops of Rome, previously nominal, began to be realized fully across what is now Western Europe. By examining letters among clergy, records of church councils, and the accounts of contemporary chroniclers, I seek to find trends and commonalities among the depositions in this period, and what implications these trends hold for the French church as a whole. This is in contrast to most previous research on this topic focuses on individual cases in isolation, thus obscuring the broader picture of the revolutionary changes affecting the French church as a whole. In addition to its implications for the history of Roman Catholicism, this topic provides a fascinating case study in the creation and use of new forms of religious and institutional authority.
Notes
Session VI, Panel 19 - Religious | Thought
Moderator: Frances Purcell, Writing Associate Fellow in Rhetoric & Composition