The Christianisation of Iceland : priests, power and social change 1000-1300
The dissertation deals with the institutional development of the church in Iceland from the 11th century to the end of the 13th and the influence of the church on the development of secular power structures in the same period. It is concerned mainly with identifying and describing factors which explain how the Icelandic church was originally fostered by the aristocracy; how the chieftains' involvement with the church helped them consolidate their authority and accumulate more power; how the church only very slowly began to create its own identity and how class-consciousness among clerics developed. The question of cult-continuity is considered and the sources for the history of the church in the 11th century are subjected to scrutiny. The importance earlier scholarship has attached to the early 12th century as a formative period of the Icelandic church is reconsidered. The introduction of the tithe in 1097 is discussed in detail and its significance subjected to revaluation. Evidence for early church building is assembled and the development of ministerial organisation is described. Particular emphasis is attached to the definition of church-ownership in the 12th century and a new interpretation of the church's
Vesteinsson, Orri
History
The Christianisation of Iceland : priests, power and social change 1000-1300. The dissertation deals with the institutional development of the church in Iceland from the 11th century to the end of the 13th and the influence of the church on the development of secular power structures in the same period. It is concerned mainly with identifying and describing factors which explain how the Icelandic church was originally fostered by the aristocracy; how the chieftains' involvement with the church helped them consolidate their authority and accumulate more power; how the church only very slowly began to create its own identity and how class-consciousness among clerics developed. The question of cult-continuity is considered and the sources for the history of the church in the 11th century are subjected to scrutiny. The importance earlier scholarship has attached to the early 12th century as a formative period of the Icelandic church is reconsidered. The introduction of the tithe in 1097 is discussed in detail and its significance subjected to revaluation. Evidence for early church building is assembled and the development of ministerial organisation is described. Particular emphasis is attached to the definition of church-ownership in the 12th century and a new interpretation of the church's
christianisation iceland priest power social_change deal institutional_development church iceland influence church development secular power structure period concern mainly identify describe factor explain icelandic church originally foster aristocracy involvement church help consolidate authority accumulate power church slowly begin create identity class_consciousness among cleric develop question cult continuity consider source history church subject scrutiny importance earlier_scholarship attach formative_period icelandic church reconsider introduction tithe discuss_detail significance subject revaluation evidence early_church building assemble development ministerial organisation describe particular_emphasis attach definition church ownership new_interpretation church