Clerics and clansmen : the Diocese of Argyll between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries / / by Iain G. MacDonald.

• Superior document: The northern world : North Europe and the Baltic c. 400-1700 A.D., peoples, economies and cultures, v. 61
• Author: MacDonald, Iain G.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Series: Northern world ; v. 61.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (467 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.
• Other title: Preliminary Material /; Introduction /; 1 The Origins of the Bishopric of Argyll /; 2 The Late Medieval Bishopric and Its Bishops /; 3 The Origins of the Clergy /; 4 Clerical Celibacy, Illegitimacy and Hereditary Succession /; 5 Education and Learning /; 6 Pluralism, Non-Residency and Pastoral Care /; Conclusion /; Appendix A Parochial fasti of the Diocese of Argyll to 1560 /; Appendix B List of University-Educated Beneficed Clergy by Institution /; Bibliography /; Index /
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• ISBN: 1299184693; 9004245413
• ISSN: 1869-1462
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Iain G. MacDonald.

The Highlander has never enjoyed a good press, and has been usually characterised as peripheral and barbaric in comparison to his Lowland neighbour, more inclined to fighting than serving God. In Clerics and Clansmen Iain MacDonald examines how the medieval Church in Gaelic Scotland, often regarded as isolated and irrelevant, continued to function in the face of poverty, periodic warfare, and the formidable powers of the clan chiefs. Focusing upon the diocese of Argyll, the study analyses the life of the bishopric, before broadening to consider the parochial clergy – in particular origins, celibacy, education, and pastoral care. Far from being superficial, it reveals a Church deeply embedded within its host society while remaining plugged into the mainstream of Latin Christendom.