The Invention of Peter

The Invention of Peter
By:George E. Demacopoulos
Published on 2013-05-29 by University of Pennsylvania Press

On the first anniversary of his election to the papacy, Leo the Great stood before the assembly of bishops convening in Rome and forcefully asserted his privileged position as the heir of Peter the Apostle. This declaration marked the beginning of a powerful tradition: the Bishop of Rome would henceforth leverage the cult of St. Peter, and the popular association of St. Peter with the city itself, to his advantage. In The Invention of Peter, George E. Demacopoulos examines this Petrine discourse, revealing how the link between the historic Peter and the Roman Church strengthened, shifted, and evolved during the papacies of two of the most creative and dynamic popes of late antiquity, ultimately shaping medieval Christianity as we now know it. By emphasizing the ways in which this rhetoric of apostolic privilege was employed, extended, transformed, or resisted between the reigns of Leo the Great and Gregory the Great, Demacopoulos offers an alternate account of papal history that challenges the dominant narrative of an inevitable and unbroken rise in papal power from late antiquity through the Middle Ages. He unpacks escalating claims to ecclesiastical authority, demonstrating how this rhetoric, which almost always invokes a link to St. Peter, does not necessarily represent actual power or prestige but instead reflects moments of papal anxiety and weakness. Through its nuanced examination of an array of episcopal activity—diplomatic, pastoral, political, and administrative—The Invention of Peter offers a new perspective on the emergence of papal authority and illuminates the influence that Petrine discourse exerted on the survival and exceptional status of the Bishop of Rome.

This Book was ranked at 16 by Google Books for keyword inventions.

Book ID of The Invention of Peter's Books is OSbGnE9fNY4C, Book which was written byGeorge E. Demacopouloshave ETAG "nNodXXlE6+U"

Book which was published by University of Pennsylvania Press since 2013-05-29 have ISBNs, ISBN 13 Code is 9780812245172 and ISBN 10 Code is 0812245172

Reading Mode in Text Status is false and Reading Mode in Image Status is true

Book which have "262 Pages" is Printed at BOOK under CategoryReligion

This Book was rated by Raters and have average rate at ""

This eBook Maturity (Adult Book) status is NOT_MATURE

Book was written in en

eBook Version Availability Status at PDF is falseand in ePub is false

Book Preview