The Role of Bishops in Icelandic Society (1056-1211) Political and Social Aspects of Activities

The Church played an important role the history of Icelandic Commonwealth (930-1264). Although prestigious the Church wielded little power of its own; although wealthy its influence was borrowed from positions in the political realm. Yet the heads of the Icelandic Church remain under-appreciated and rarely studied. Most of scholarly works had been dealing with detached issues of political life or sainthood of some bishops. However this study attempts to establish the characteristic features of different activities of high ecclesiastic from the middle of the 11th - to the beginning of the 13th century. Analysis of the bishops' role in conflicts lawmaking and education seeks to examine transformation of holy orders from the foundation of the office in Iceland to the beginning of the civil wars' period. In addition this book intends to cast new light on the mechanism of the bishops' influence and the background to their politics.