Episcopal Power and Patronage in Medieval Europe, 998-1503

edited by Evan Gatti and Angelo Silvestri

Book cover: Episcopal Power and Patronage in Medieval Europe, 998-1503

Extent: 380 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies

Series: Medieval Church Studies

Series volume number: 45

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(March 2026)

ISBN: 9782503617312

Price: $150.00

In stock

The volume illuminates how the role of patron or acts of patronage bring attention to the bishop as a person around whom the community revolves.


The essays in this volume derive from the third and fourth installations of a conference dedicated to examining the ‘Power of the Bishop’ in the Middle Ages: ‘Bishops as Diplomats’ and ‘The Bishop as Patron’. Taken as a collection, the volume encourages us to seek the power of the bishop in his role as a fulcrum. The essays demonstrate how the medieval bishop was asked, and sometimes used, to balance institutional and individual forces as well as being a person around whom a community revolved. In each of the examples offered here, the acts and the duties of the bishops must be balanced against the needs and the expectations of their communities. This volume also takes into consideration how the community perceived and reacted to the patronage of the bishop, as he was understood to be an arbiter of power, favour, and influence. As patrons, clients, diplomats, allies, and adversaries, bishops were required to act or be acted upon in ways that aligned with, defined, or even defied historical, social, and personal expectations of the office.

  • Edited by Angelo Silvestri
  • Edited by Evan Gatti