Download or read book Liturgy and Society in Early Medieval Rome written by John F. Romano and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2013-09-28 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The liturgy was a crucial factor in forging the society of early medieval Rome. As the Roman Empire dissolved, a new world emerged as Christian bishops stepped into the power vacuum left by the dismantling of the Empire. Among these potentates, none was more important than the bishop of Rome, the pope. The documents, archaeology, and architecture that issued forth from papal Rome in the 7th and 8th centuries preserve a precious glimpse into novel societal patterns. The underexploited liturgical sources enrich and complicate our historical understanding of this period.