Episcopal Elections in Late Antiquity by Leemans, Johan; Van Nuffelen, Peter; Keough, Shawn W. J.;

Short description:

Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte first began publication in 1925 and can claim to be one of the most tradition-rich historical book series. It presents research on the history of Christian churches and dogmas through the ages but also publishes papers on related disciplines such as archeology, history of art and literary studies. One of the series' leading features is its consistent striving to combine historical-methodical precision with systematic contextualization of each examined topic. In recent years the series has increasingly publishedstudies on themes relating to the history of Christian culture and ideas, viewed within a methodically open perspective on the history of Christianity.

Long description:

The present volume contributes to a reassessment of the phenomenon of episcopal elections from the broadest possible perspective, examining the varied combination of factors, personalities, rules and habits that played a role in the process that eventually resulted in one specific candidate becoming the new bishop, and not another. The importance of episcopal elections hardly needs stating: With the bishop emerging as one of the key figures of late antique society, his election was a defining moment for the local community, and an occasion when local, ecclesiastical, and secular tensions were played out. Building on the state of the art regarding late antique bishops and episcopal election, this volume of collected studies by leading scholars offers fresh perspectives by focussing on specific case-studies and opening up new approaches. Covering much of the Later Roman Empire between 250–600 AD, the contributions will be of interest to scholars interested in Late Antique Christianity across disciplines as diverse as patristics, ancient history, canon law and oriental studies.

"Wer kunftig unter kirchen-, kultur- oder rechtsgeschichtlicher Perspektive diesen Gegenstand beruhrt, wird daraus viel Information und Anregung entnehmen konnen."
Stephan Haering in: ZKG 128 (2017) Nr. 1, S. 101

"A summery outline such as this can hardly do justice to a collection whose chief strength lies in the breadth of evidence and insight offered. It is a tribute to the editors and their process of selection and organisation that their volume holds together so well and remains focused on the twin aims of diversity and synthesis laid down in the introduction. Certainly, any attempt to create such a synthesis in the future must now take into account the different perspectives and methodological approaches represented here."
David M. Gwynn in: Journal of Ecclesiastical History Vol. 64 N. 2