An entirely new and comprehensive commentary by canon lawyers from North America and Europe, with a revised English translation of the code. Reflects the enormous developments in canon law since the publication of the original commentary. +

Canon law touched nearly every aspect of medieval society, including many issues we now think of as purely secular. It regulated marriages, oaths, usury, sorcery, heresy, university life, penance, just war, court procedure, and Christian relations with religious minorities. Canon law also regulated the clergy and the Church, one of the most important institutions in the Middle Ages. This Cambridge History offers a comprehensive survey of canon law, both chronologically and thematically. Written by an international team of scholars, it explores, in non-technical language, how it operated in the daily life of people and in the great political events of the time. The volume demonstrates that medieval canon law holds a unique position in the legal history of Europe. Indeed, the influence of medieval canon law, which was at the forefront of introducing and defining concepts such as 'equity,' 'rationality,' 'office,' and 'positive law,' has been enormous, long-lasting, and remarkably diverse.

---Ecclesiastical Law Review --

This new edition of An Introduction to Canon Law has been updated to reflect changes and adaptations in canon law, as well as to uncover new resources in the field. It offers an introductory orientation to all of canon law, it outlines and overviews the various specialized areas of the law, and it sketches the structure and function of the offices within the church and how they relate to one another. The book gives historical perspectives, and focuses on the rights and duties of Catholics in the church.