Acts of Giving - Individual, Community, and Church in Tenth-Century Christian Spain (Hardcover, New)

Acts of Giving examines the issues surrounding donation --the giving of property, usually landed property--in northern "Christian" Spain in the tenth century, when written texts became very plentiful, allowing us to glimpse the working of local society.
Wendy Davies explores who gives and who receives; what is given; reasons for giving; and the place of giving within the complex of social and economic relationships in society as a whole. People gave land for all kinds of reasons - because they were forced to do so, to meet debts or pay fines; because they wanted to gain material benefits in life, or to secure support in the short term or in old age. Giving pro anima, for the sake of the soul, was relatively limited; and gifts were made to lay persons as well as to the church. Family interests were strongly sustained across the tenth century and did not dwindle; family land was split and re-assembled, not fragmented. The gender and status of donors are key themes, along with commemoration: more men than women took steps to memorialize, in contrast to some parts of western Europe, and more aristocrats than peasants, which is less of a contrast. Donation as a type of transaction is also examined, as well as the insights into status afforded by the language and form of the records. Buying and selling, giving and receiving continued in the tenth-century as it had for centuries. However this period saw the volume of peasant donation to the church increasing enormously. It was this which set the conditions for substantial social and economic change.

General

Imprint:	Oxford UniversityPress
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	November 2007
First published:	October 2007
Authors:	Wendy Davies
Dimensions:	223 x 143 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	260
Edition:	New
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-928340-8
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Humanities > History > European history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > History of religion Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > General Books > History > European history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > History > World history > 500 to 1500 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > General Books > Religion & Spirituality > General > History of religion Books > Christianity
LSN:	0-19-928340-0
Barcode:	9780199283408

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