Catholic University of America Press eBooks· 2012· Book chapter
The History of Byzantine and Eastern Canon Law to 1500
- 135citations
- 2012year
Short summary
Byzantine and Eastern canon law evolved significantly from the Patristic Age, with councils replacing earlier authorities as church organization became more democratic, culminating in extensive Greek canonical collections and diverse Eastern Christian legal traditions by 1500.
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Key points
- Ecclesiastical law evolved from the Patristic Age, with councils becoming primary sources of authority.
- The Quinisext Council (692) is a key point for Byzantine canon law sources.
- Greek canonical collections and their compilers were surveyed from the 4th to the 11th century, extending coverage to 1500.
- Key Byzantine canonists like Zonaras, Aristenos, and Balsamon are discussed, remaining largely unknown in English literature.
- Diverse legal traditions of Eastern Christian communities (Syrians, Copts, Ethiopians, Armenians, etc.) are explored.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This newest volume in the History of Medieval Canon Law series surveys the history of Byzantine and Eastern canon law. Beginning in the Patristic Age, Susan Wessel outlines the evolution of ecclesiastical law before the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.). She covers the earliest documents and councils in the Christian tradition, and concludes that the councils replaced other sources of authority as bishops moved to a more democratic model of church organisation. Heinz Ohme then offers a detailed analysis of the Greek councils and the writings of the Greek Fathers. He treats the sources of canonical material of Byzantine canon law down to the Quinisext Council (Trullanum, 692). Spyros Troianos presents a comprehensive survey of the Greek canonical collections and their compilers from the fourth to the eleventh century. In extending his coverage to 1500, Troianos provides bibliographical and biographical information about the most important Byzantine canonists who remain virtually unknown in English language literature: John Zonaras, Alexios Aristenos, and the Byzantine Gratian, Theodore Balsamon. With Hubert Kaufhold's contribution, the book also explores the wide range and variety of law in Eastern Christian communities, including Western Syrians (Jacobites), the Copts, Ethiopians, Armenians, Georgians, Nestorians, and Maronites.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Catholic University of America Press eBooks, 2012 · DOI ↗
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Field: Classics
ClassicsArts and Humanities