The Chrodegang Rules:The Rules for the Common Life of the Secular Clergy from the Eighth and Ninth Centuries. Critical Texts with Translations and Commentary (review)
James T. Palmer
Reviewed by James T. Palmer University of Nottingham The Chrodegang Rules: Rules for the Common Life Secular Clergy from Eighth and Ninth Centuries. Critical Texts with Translations Commentary. By Jerome Bertram. [Church, Faith, Culture in Medieval West.] (Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate Publishing Company. 2005. Pp. x, 293. $99.95.) eighth-century bishop Metz (d. 766) had a deep influence on early medieval Church. Building reforming spirit St. Boniface, Chrodegang's efforts to regulate lives secular clergy formed one cornerstones Christian order under Carolingians influenced tenth-century Benedictine reforms England. In this volume, Bertram attempts make some sources Chrodegang—often only found rare Latin editions—more accessible wider public. His interest is not historical per se but rather pastoral, providing part call isolated Catholic re-establish form communal living. There are things be gained, he argues, studying history vita communis so that those who do take monastic vow renounce property can still effectively engage their pastoral responsibilities. offers us editions three texts accompanying translations: Regula sancti Chrodegangi c. 755, Aachen Institutio Canonicorum 816, later-ninth-century Longior Canonicorum. Although first these actually himself, Benedict Aniane's decrees at were deeply indebted work, while represents heavily interpolated reworking earlier extent it sometimes mistakenly thought himself. largely taken by, respectively, Jean-Baptiste Pelt (1937), Albert Werminghof (1906), Arthur Napier (1916) minor amendments; inclusion anyway more available, supersede them. It regrettable chapters 1-113 Institutio—mainly collection quotations Isidore church councils—were excluded. Here would have been valuable resource which gain sense perspectives councils. Further disappointment lies decision place translations after each edition, than across page, volume little cumbersome depending how imagines might use it. themselves whole faithful readable, will great helping students, especially without Latin, issues they raise. context as given useful, setting broad terms background such clerical continence. benefit section non-academic readers sets out key definitions distinctions. For wishing pursue detail, however, scholarship based thin side, most notably German where works Rudolf Schieffer, Josef Semmler, others poorly represented. Such problems exacerbated, through no fault author, publication [End Page 646] two recent books similar themes: Martin Claussen's study Brigitte Langefeld's Old English version Longior. shame writers unable collaborate work. lists examination manuscript traditions Regular Longior, example, extensive Bertram's could aided his discussion considerably. Future scholars will, nevertheless, much richer field contributed felicitous development. Despite its academic shortcomings, Rules...
Catholic Historical Review