“The Most Blessed Hilary Held an Estate”: Property, Reform, and the Canonical Life in Tenth-Century Aquitaine
Anna Trumbore Jones
This article explores thinking and practice regarding property at houses of canons from the mid-ninth to mid-eleventh centuries, through a case study charters Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers. Since Late Antiquity, Christian orders debated legitimacy private property, with most rejecting it favor exclusively common holdings. For canons, became defining issue Central Middle Ages: Carolingian legislation 816 asserted that (unlike monks) could hold while order regular which emerged eleventh century, rejected as corrupt. The role interim period, meanwhile, has been largely neglected by scholars. essay argues Saint-Hilaire embraced acceptance among but stance did not preclude protection joint interest life. resulting detailed understanding both quotidian functioning tenth-century house ideals drove its regulation inform my concluding comments on two broader topics: wealth dedicated religious life, nature reform movements church Ages.
Church History