Download or read book Private Religious Foundations in the Byzantine Empire written by John Philip Thomas and published by Dumbarton Oaks. This book was released on 1987 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thomas examines the private ownership of ecclesiastical institutions to determine the nature and extent of private ownership of religious institutions in the Byzantine Empire. This includes churches, monasteries, and philanthropic institutions such as hospitals and orphanages, which were founded by private individuals and retained for personal administration independent of the public authorities of the state and church.