Defining paganism in the Carolingian world
James T. Palmer
Generations of scholars have looked for evidence ‘paganism’ in continental sources from the eighth and ninth centuries. This paper surveys some key problems defining conceptualizing available literary such a project. Part one argues return to help escape intellectual baggage created by discussions ‘pan‐Germanic paganism’, interpretatio Romana and, more recently, folk practices. From perspective sources’ producers, paganism needs be understood as category difference employed provide better definition Christianity itself. In part two this line thought is pursued through brief study ways which classical learning framed not only Carolingian attitudes paganism, but also related strategies moralizing.
Early Medieval Europe