The Acts of the Council of Constantinople of 869-70 - (Translated Texts for Historians) by Richard Price & Federico Montinaro (Paperback)

About the Book

The Acts of the Council of Constantinople of 869-70 offer a full, frank and dramatic record of the trial and condemnation of Patriarch Photius, a towering figure in the Byzantine tradition, and the tussle of wills between the papal legates, the imperial representatives and the bishops on matters of ecclesiastical independence and primacy.

Book Synopsis

The Council of Constantinople of 869-70 was highly dramatic, with its trial and condemnation of Patriarch Photius, a towering figure in the Byzantium of his day, and the tussle of wills at the council between the papal legates, the imperial representatives and the bishops. It was church politics and personalities rather than issues of doctrine, such as icon veneration, that dominated the debates. Out of all the acts of the great early councils, the acts of this council, of which this edition is the first modern translation, are the nearest to an accurate and complete record. Its protest against secular
interference in ecclesiastical elections was taken up later in the West and led to this council's being accorded full ecumenical status, although it had been repudiated in Byzantium soon after it was held. No early council expresses so vividly the tension between Rome's claim to supreme authority and the Byzantine reduction of this to a primacy of honour.

Review Quotes

'As with other conciliar acts, there is much to find in these two volumes that will interest historians of Byzantium and the early Middle Ages, church historians, historical theologians, legal historians, and others [...] Translations such as those found in the two volumes under review will go a long way towards making them accessible to wider audiences.' Philip Michael Forness, Journal of Eastern Christian Studies

'Denn der bewährte und unermüdliche Übersetzer der Protokolle ökumenischer Synoden, Richard Price, hat in dem zu rezensierenden Band eine vorzügliche englische Übersetzung auf ca 340 Seiten vorgelegt und Federico Montinaro dazu eine General Introduction und die Einleitungen und Anmerkungen zu den zehn Sitzungen der Synode auf ca 120 Seiten verfasst. Diese bieten auf neuestem Forschungsstand eine konzise und kritische Darstellung der historischen Ursachen und Entwicklungen des Konfliktes.' 'The proven and tireless translator of the minutes of ecumenical synods, Richard Price, has presented an excellent English translation of approximately 340 pages in the volume under review, and Federico Montinaro has also written a General Introduction and the introductions and notes on the ten sessions of the Synod, each comprising approximately 120 pages. These offer a concise and critical presentation, based on the latest research, of the historical causes and developments of the conflict.' Heinz Ohme, Revue d'Histoire Ecclésiastique Translated from German

'This book will be of interest to students and professors of Middle Ages history and theology, and all research libraries that specialize in history and theology should acquire this book.'

Andrew Messmer, Seville Theological Seminary

About the Author

Richard Price is Professor Emeritus of the History of Christianity, Heythrop College and Honorary Research Fellow, Royal Holloway, University of London. His many previous publications include The Acts of the Council of Constantinople of 553 (Liverpool 2009), The Acts of the Lateran Synod of 649 (with P. Booth & C. Cubitt, Liverpool 2014), The Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea (Liverpool 2018), The Council of Ephesus of 431 (with T. Graumann, Liverpool 2020) and Canons of the Quinisext Council (691/2) (Liverpool 2020).

Federico Montinaro is Research Group Leader in the Emmy Noether Programme (DFG), University of Tübingen. His previous publications include Studies in Theophanes (ed. with M. Jankowiak), Association des Amis du Centre d'Histoire et Civilisation de Byzance 2015 and A Companion to Procopius of Caesarea (ed. with M. Meier), Brill 2021.