Inventing the Church - (Religion, Culture, and Public Life) by Bénédicte Sère

About the Book

"When historians and theologians of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries attempted to tell the story of the Pope's place in the Roman Catholic Church and in European politics generally, they reimagined the historical trajectory of pontifical power as a gradual, perhaps even inevitable, ascent rooted in events in the Middle Ages. By excavating and tracing this intellectual history through seven pivotal concepts, Bâenâedicte Sáere reveals that present-day narratives of the rise of papal power (largely influenced by those histories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries) are still shaped by medieval political interests and power struggles. Through an exploration of how the Church has consistently reshaped the narrative of its own history, this book chronicles its self-crafted identity and looks to historical sources to query the authenticity of that identity. Under closer inspection, the "history of the Church" as disseminated through contemporary accounts is revealed to be an illusion, a product of the Church's response to its challenges over the centuries. By exploring the space between this narrative and what the historical sources actually show-as well as the divide between the Middle Ages and modernity-Sáere reveals how the Church's self-reporting diverges from the actual history of the Church but also how indebted our contemporary politics are to struggles, both political and ecclesiastical, that are now centuries old"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Why is the official narrative of the history of the Catholic Church so discordant with the archival sources of the Middle Ages? From the fifteenth century down to the present day, the Church has constructed an identity and a past at odds with what the records show--expanding the authority and power of the papacy in ways that have striking broader political implications.

This audacious and nuanced book explores how the Church has repeatedly invented and reinvented itself through a constant back-and-forth between narratives of the Middle Ages and modernity. Bénédicte Sère excavates and traces this history through seven pivotal concepts in long-standing debates over papal power and the nature of the Church. Providing critical readings of the medieval sources on which later positions have been based, she chronicles how the Church has officially interpreted--and misinterpreted--its own past in order to serve the needs of the present and to create a narrative for posterity.

Drawing on a wide range of classic and recent works published in French, German, Italian, and English, this book offers a bold reinterpretation of Church history and historiography. Inventing the Church also speaks more broadly to questions concerning the interpretation of foundational documents, the uses of history, and the ways institutions interact with their own pasts.

Review Quotes

Was there a medieval Church? Is the modern Church based on it? Bénédicte Sère convincingly answers "no" to both questions. Both Churches instead are imaginative constructions. How they came to be so is the story of this book. In the process, it probes our assumptions about the very nature of knowledge, tradition, and interpretation.--Barbara H. Rosenwein, Professor Emerita, Loyola University Chicago

About the Author

Bénédicte Sère is a member of the Institut Universitaire de France and an associate professor in medieval history at the University of Paris Nanterre. She is a visiting professor at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Caroline Wazer is a translator and writer who holds a PhD in ancient Roman history from Columbia University.

Caroline Walker Bynum is University Professor Emerita at Columbia University and professor emerita of medieval European history at the Institute for Advanced Study.