Between A.D. 200 and 1000, sponsorship at baptism evolved from a simple liturgical act into a mechanism for the creation of enduring relationships regarded as especially holy forms of kinship. Combining anthropological, historical, theological, and literary approaches, Joseph Lynch presents a comprehensive analysis of the origins and development in Western society of this "spiritual" kinship. Because of its solemnity and adaptability, such kinship gradually took its place alongside blood and marital ties as a fundamental part of medieval society, continuing to expand in high and late medieval Europe and to flourish even in modern times, particularly in Latin America. Professor Lynch traces the liturgical practices and theological beliefs undergirding sponsorship and examines its social purposes, including sacralization of personal firendships, creation of client/patron reltionships, extension of marital taboos, provision of protectors for the young, fostering of trust among adults, and dissemination of religious instruction. In the process he offers a rich array of insights into the Church's role in the passage of Western society from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Joseph H. Lynch is Professor of History and former Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Ohio State University. He is author of Simoniacal Entry into Religious Life form 1000 to 1260: A Social, Economic and Legal Study (Ohio State). Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Between A.D. 200 and 1000, sponsorship at baptism evolved from a simple liturgical act into a mechanism for the creation of enduring relationships regarded as especially holy forms of kinship. Combining anthropological, historical, theological, and literary approaches, Joseph Lynch presents a comprehensive analysis of the origins and development in Western society of this "spiritual" kinship. Because of its solemnity and adaptability, such kinship gradually took its place alongside blood and marital ties as a fundamental part of medieval society, continuing to expand in high and late medieval Europe and to flourish even in modern times, particularly in Latin America. Professor Lynch traces the liturgical practices and theological beliefs undergirding sponsorship and examines its social purposes, including sacralization of personal firendships, creation of client/patron reltionships, extension of marital taboos, provision of protectors for the young, fostering of trust among adults, and dissemination of religious instruction. In the process he offers a rich array of insights into the Church's role in the passage of Western society from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Joseph H. Lynch is Professor of History and former Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Ohio State University. He is author of Simoniacal Entry into Religious Life form 1000 to 1260: A Social, Economic and Legal Study (Ohio State). Originally published in 1986. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This concise and engaging introduction to the history of early Christianity examines the development of Christianity from its origins up through the year 620. Accessible to beginning students with no background in the subject, Early Christianity: A Brief History is also captivating reading for more advanced students. The book is organized chronologically into four parts: The Contexts of Early Christianity, Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries, The Creation of a Christian Empire, and Life in the Christian Empire. Each part begins with a timeline in order to guide students in the chronology of events. Opening with a look at the historical Jesus--which considers what we know and how we know it--the book continues on with coverage of the Jewish and Roman worlds in which Christianity arose. It then charts the extraordinary progress of Christianity, ranging from its status as a fringe sect in Judaism, to that of a dominant religion, up through the reign of Pope Gregory I. Chapters on society and culture and an epilogue on Muhammad and the rise of Islam are also included.
Focusing on important themes and developments throughout, author Joseph H. Lynch does not overwhelm students with an encyclopedic amount of detail. In addition, he acknowledges the often neglected diversity of early Christian views without losing sight of the major lines along which the religion developed. Lynch integrates excerpts and quotations from a wide variety of ancient sources--including the New Testament, the Gospel of Thomas, the Didache, and the writings of Dio Chrysostom, Fronto, and Tactitus--in order to engage students and show them how historians learn about the ancient world. Each chapter ends with carefully selected suggestions for further reading that are drawn from both ancient and modern sources. The book also features custom-drawn maps and photos to help students understand the visual and geographical developments of ancient Christianity.

When Christianity spread from its Mediterranean base into the Germanic and Celtic north, it initiated profound changes, particularly in kinship relations and sexual mores. Joseph H. Lynch traces the introduction and assimilation of the concept of spiritual kinship into Anglo-Saxon England. Covering the years 597 to 1066, he shows how this notion unsettled and in time altered the structures of the society.

In early Germanic societies, kinship was a major organizing principle. Spiritual kinship of various kinds began to take hold among the Anglo-Saxons with the arrival of Christian missionaries from Rome in the seventh century. Lynch discusses in detail sponsorship at baptism, confirmation, and other rituals in which an individual other than a biological parent presented someone, often an infant, for initiation into Christianity. After the ceremony, the sponsor was regarded as the child's spiritual parent or godparent, whose role complemented that of the natural mother and father, with whom the sponsor had become a "coparent". He describes the difficulties posed by the incest taboo, which included a ban on marriage between spiritual kin. Lynch's work reveals how Anglo-Saxons, though never accepting the sexual taboos that were so prominent in the Frankish, Roman, and Byzantine Churches, did create new forms of spiritual kinship. Unusual in its focus and scope, this book illuminates an integral element in the religious, social, and diplomatic life of Anglo-Saxon England. It also contributes significantly to our understanding of the ways in which Christianization reshaped societal relations and moral attitudes.

A concise, accessible introduction to the history of early Christianity, this text covers the development of the Christian church from its origin through the year 600. Equally suited to beginning and more advanced students alike, the text opens with a discussion of the historical Jesus-what we know and how do we know it?-before moving on the discuss the Jewish and Roman world in which Christianity arose. The book moves on chronologically into four Parts, charting the progress of Christianity from fringe sect to dominant religion, down through the reign of Pope Gregory I. Interspersed are chapters on society and culture and the book closes with an epilogue on Muhammad and the rise of Islam. Excerpts and quotations from a wide variety of ancient sources-including the New Testament, the Gospel of Thomas, the Didache, and the writing of Dio Chrysostom, Fronto, and Tactitus, among others-engage students and help to show them how historians learn about the ancient world. Each chapter ends with carefully selected suggestions for further readings, including both ancient and modern texts. Timelines accompany each Part and the book features eight custom-drawn maps.