Columbanus and the Peoples of Post-Roman Europe by Alexander O'Hara, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters

The period 550 to 750 was one in which monastic culture became more firmly entrenched in Western Europe. The role of monasteries and their relationship to the social world around them was transformed during this period as monastic institutions became more integrated in social and politicalpower networks. This collected volume of essays focuses on one of the central figures in this process, the Irish ascetic exile and monastic founder, Columbanus (c. 550-615), his travels on the Continent, and the monastic network he and his Frankish disciples established in Merovingian Gaul andLombard Italy. In the early Middle Ages Europe's political landscape was significantly shaped by the emergence of new fundamental modes of identification, both ethnic and religious. These processes created new forms of social cohesion and conflict. The world into which the Irish ascetic exile and monastic founderColumbanus entered when he left Ireland towards the end of the sixth century was a world of gentes, new constellations of peoples. The pluralistic political landscape of the gentes had replaced a world of Empire. The post-Roman kingdoms through which Columbanus travelled and established his monastic foundations were made up of many different communities of peoples. As an outsider and immigrant, how did Columbanus and his communities interact with these peoples? How did they negotiate differences and whatemerged from these encounters? How societies interact with outsiders can reveal the inner workings and social norms of that culture. Columbanus crossed many boundaries (both literally and figuratively) during his time on the Continent and his travels through Merovingian Gaul, Alamannia, and Lombard Italy brought him into contact with the elites and local communities of post-Roman Europe. This volume aims to explore further thestrands of this vibrant contact and to consider all of the geographical spheres in which Columbanus and his monastic communities operated (Ireland, Merovingian Gaul, Alamannia, Lombard Italy) and the varieties of communities he and his successors came in contact with - whether they be royal, ecclesiastic, aristocratic, or grass-roots. | Columbanus and the Peoples of Post-Roman Europe by Alexander O'Hara, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters