Clerical celibacy in the West, c.1100-1700 - Parish, Helen L. (Ashgate, 2010)
Includes bibliographical references and index
Introduction: For the sake of the kingdom of heaven : shaping the celibacy debate -- If there is one faith, there must be one tradition : clerical celibacy and marriage in the early church -- Preserving the ancient rule and apostolic perfection : celibacy and marriage in East and West -- A concubine or an unlawful woman : celibacy, marriage, and the Gregorian reform -- In marriage they will live more piously and honestly : debating clerical celibacy in the pre-Reformation church -- The whole world and the devil will laugh : clerical celibacy and married priests in the Age of Reformation -- Contrary to the state of their order and the laudable customs of the church : clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church after the Reformation -- Conclusion: One of the chief ornaments of the Catholic clergy : celibacy in the modern church
The debate over clerical celibacy and marriage had its origins in the early Christian centuries, and is still very much alive in the modern church. The content and form of controversy have remained remarkably consistent, but each era has selected and shaped the sources that underpin its narrative, and imbued an ancient issue with an immediacy and relevance. The basic question of whether, and why, continence should be demanded of those who serve at the altar has never gone away, but the implications of that question, and of the answers given, have changed with each generation. In this reassessment of the history of sacerdotal celibacy, Helen Parish examines the emergence and evolution of the celibate priesthood in the Latin church, and the challenges posed to this model of the ministry in the era of the Protestant Reformation. Celibacy was, and is, intensely personal, but also polemical, institutional, and historical. Clerical celibacy acquired theological, moral, and confessional meanings in the writings of its critics and defenders, and its place in the life of the church continues to be defined and in relation to broader debates over Scripture, apostolic tradition, ecclesiastical history, and papal authority. Highlighting continuity and change in attitudes to priestly celibacy, Helen Parish reveals that the implications of celibacy and marriage for the priesthood reach deep into the history, traditions, and understanding of the church