About this book

Professor Barraclough treats the medieval papaey as an historical plicibimu non developing and changing in response to changing historical sirom stances. He seeks to show how its success in building up its authenty its legal and administrative machinery militated against its claini spiritual leadership, and how an institution which rose through furthering the cause of reform later became an obstacle to reform and itself in need of reformation. In other words, he is concerned with the great dichotome - to say nothing of the conflicting ideals and contrasting personalities-which make the history of the medieval papacy so dramatic and instructive. Professor Barraclough's writings on papal history cover a period of more than thirty years. They are based on extensive research in the Vatican Archives and other major manuscript libraries. The present volume is refreshingly original in judgment and constantly surprises the reader by its ability to place even the best-known episodes and personalities in a new and revealing light