The politics of identity in Visigoth Spain : : religion and power in the histories of Isidor of Seville / / Jamie Wood.

• Superior document: Brill's series on the early Middle Ages, v. 21
• Author: Wood, Jamie P., 1978-
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, 2012.
• Year of Publication: 2012
• Language: English
• Series: Brill's series on the early Middle Ages ; v. 21.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (287 pages)

Previous scholarship has interpreted Bishop Isidore of Seville (d. 636) retrospectively as the architect of the medieval Spanish church, as the father of Spanish identity, and as a key figure in the transmission of Classical and Patristic learning to the Middle Ages. Drawing on recent studies on identity formation in the early medieval period and an upsurge in interest in late antique Spain, this book examines the historical Isidore as a social actor managing a complex web of responsibilities and relationships. A comparative analysis of Isidore's historical works demonstrates that writing about the past was a method for reconciling Visigothic kings, nobles and Spanish bishops in a period of transformation. This results in a fresh portrait of Isidore as motivated, both politically and pastorally, to balance competing interests and ensure the spiritual and material security of the people of Spain.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- Iberian Identities: Isidore in Context -- Reception and Reuse: History, Historians and Historiography in the Writings of Isidore of Seville -- A Spanish Homeland: History, Kingship and Conquest in the Histories of Isidore of Seville -- The Hispano-Visigothic Church Triumphant: Religion and Conversion in Isidore’s Histories -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- Index.