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Fathers and Godfathers - Spiritual Kinship in Early-Modern Italy (Hardcover, New Ed)
Loot Price: R4,451
Discovery Miles 44 510
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Fathers and Godfathers - Spiritual Kinship in Early-Modern Italy (Hardcover, New Ed)
Series: Catholic Christendom, 1300-1700
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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In medieval Europe baptism did not merely represent a solemn and
public recognition of the 'natural' birth of a child, but was
regarded as a second, 'spiritual birth', within a social group
often different from the child's blood relations: a spiritual
family, composed of godfathers and godmothers. By analyzing the
changing theological and social nature of spiritual kinship and
godparenthood between 1450 and 1650, this book explores how these
medieval concepts were developed and utilised by the Catholic
Church in an era of reform and challenge. It demonstrates how such
ties continued to be of major social importance throughout the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but were often used in ways
not always coherent with their original religious meaning, and
which could have unexpected social consequences. In particular, the
book analyzes in detail the phase of transition from the
traditional model of godparenthood which allowed for multiple
godparents, to the new couple model (one godfather and one
godmother) imposed by Tridentine law. Drawing upon a large database
of archival data taken from parish books of baptisms and marriages,
pastoral visitations, diocesan statutes, synods and provincial
councils, it is shown how attempts were made to resist or to
compromise with the Church, thus providing a better understanding
of the often contested meaning given to godparenthood by early
modern society. Whilst the Church was ultimately successful in
imposing its will, the book concludes that this was to have
unexpected results that were to eventually weaken the role of
godparents. Rather than persuading parents to choose real
'spiritual tutors' to act as godparents, the choice of godparents
became increasingly influenced with social status, so that
godparenthood began to resemble a pure clientele system, something
it had never been before. Through this long-term exploration of
Catholic spiritual kinship, much is revealed, not only about
godparenthood, but about the wider social and religious networks.
Comparison with Protestant reactions to the same issues provides
further insight into the importance of this subject to early modern
European society.
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