H. E. J. Cowdrey – författare

Lanfranc of Pavia was archbishop of Canterbury from 1070 to 1089, and so for nineteen critical years in the history of the Anglo-Norman church and kingdom after the Norman conquest of 1066. He came to Canterbury with long experience of intellectual and ecclesiastical currents, including reforming currents, in mid-eleventh-century western Europe. At first concerned with the liberal arts, after migrating to Normandy he turned to sacred study; he commented upon the Pauline Epistles and engaged Berengar of Tours in eucharistic controversy. He became prominent in the fourishing monastic life of Normandy at Bec and as abbot of Duke William''s foundation of Saint-Etienne at Caen. At Canterbury, he was King William''s loyal and effective collaborator in renewing and reordering church life, using councils as a principal means.By no means a ''court-prelate'', Lanfranc may be best characterized as a monk-archbishop, a role in which he was reinforced by being ex-officio abbot of a cathedral monastery at Canterbury. Canterbury''s prestige and interests were a major concern; Lanfranc claimed for the see a primacy over the whole British Isles. Towards the great pope of his day, Gregory VII (1073-85), he was surprisingly cool. This is the first full scholarly study of Lanfranc for thirty years. It reconsiders his career and outstanding achievements in all major aspects, focusing on his qualities of wisdom, diligence, and statesmanship. It is an intelligent and considered historical biography which brings Lanfranc out from the shadow of his successor, St Anselm, and reveals him as among the very greatest of the archbishops of Canterbury.

The reign of Pope Gregory VII (1073-85), who gave his name to an era of Church reform, is critically important in the history of the medieval church and papacy. Thus it is surprising that this is the first comprehensive biography to appear in any language for over fifty years. H. E. J. Cowdrey presents Gregory's life and work in their entirety, tracing his career from early days as a clerk of the Roman Church, through his political negotiations, ecclesiastical governance, and final exile at Salerno. Full account is taken of his turbulent relations with King Henry IV of Germany, from his first deposition and excommunication in 1076, to the absolution at Canossa and the imposition of a second sentence in 1080. Pope Gregory was also a contemporary of William the Conqueror, and, as the author shows, fully supported his conquest of England.Gregory VII is presented as an individual whose deep inner belief in iustitia (righteousness) did not waver in the face of new circumstances, although his broad outlook underwent changes. Deeply committed to the traditions of the past and especially to those of Pope Gregory the Great, his reign prepared the way for an age of strong papal monarchy in the western Church.

The Epistolae Vagantes of Pope Gregory VII

This book presents a complete translation of the Register of Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085), one of the very greatest and most vigorous of all the popes and makers of European and world history. The Register survives as Registrum Vaticanum 2 in the Vatican Archives; its some 390 items are divided into nine books. It is generally accepted as being an `original' Register - a working record of the papal entourage into which, for the most part, outgoing letters and other documents were copied in small batches soon after they were drafted. Many of the letters were of Gregory's own dictation and therefore offer insight into his powerful personality and distinctive ideas. They are a prime source for assessing his reforming aims and methods which prepared the way for the papal monarchy of the later Middle Ages. They illustrate his dealings with the European rulers of his time, such as Henry IV of Germany, with whom he had a famous meeting at Canossa, and William the Conqueror, whom he viewed with critical regard. His part in preparing the way for the Crusade excites the greatest interest.This is the first complete translation of Gregory VII's Register into a modern language.