Pastoral Works

Priests, Books, and Compilatory Practices in the Carolingian Period

by Bastiaan Waagmeester

Book cover: Pastoral Works

Extent: 328 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies

Series: Utrecht Studies in Medieval Literacy

Series volume number: 64

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(February 2026)

ISBN: 9782503598048

Price: $119.00

In stock

A study of the compilation and usage of the previously unexplored material that is the Carolingian priest’s book.


Much of the Christian empire established by the Carolingians in the eighth century was not only built through royal initiative, but also through the work of local priests. Living among the laity, these clerics provided pastoral care and religious instruction. Yet despite their vital contribution to the development of Christianity in Western Europe, these clergymen and the communities they served remain understudied. This book investigates the manuscripts they used, offering a glimpse into everyday life around the local church. Far from being poor and illiterate, priests had access to texts specifically adapted to their needs. By examining how these materials were compiled, this study reveals what mattered most in the early medieval countryside. Drawing on excerpts from collections of liturgy, canon law, and patristic expositions – often preserved in the great monastic and court libraries – it uncovers the diversity of local religious practice. These texts reflect how the efforts instigated by Carolingians to foster ‘good Christianity’ were interpreted and implemented outside the centres of power. In exploring these seemingly modest manuscripts, this study opens new pathways into the world of the Carolingian local church and the people who inhabited it.

  • By (author) Bastiaan Waagmeester