Honors Theses
Date of Award
5-7-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
History
First Advisor
Mary Thurlkill
Second Advisor
Amy Slagle
Third Advisor
Frances Kneupper
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis examines the development and organization of penitential discipline in early medieval Christianity through a comparison of the penitential tradition associated with Theodore of Canterbury in the Latin West and the canons attributed to John the Faster in the Byzantine East. The study focuses on how these texts regulated sexual sin and what their structures reveal about the institutional role of the Church in different historical contexts. The analysis is based on a comparative reading of penitential texts, supported by patristic writings and modern scholarship. By examining how specific categories of sexual misconduct are classified and disciplined, this study identifies patterns in how each tradition organizes moral correction.
Particular attention is given to the structure of penalties, the role of ascetic practices, and the flexibility or rigidity of disciplinary systems. The findings show that both traditions operated within a shared Christian moral framework that emphasized the regulation of sexual behavior, especially in relation to desire and procreation. However, they differed significantly in how penitential discipline was structured. The penitential tradition associated with Theodore increasingly organized moral correction through fixed and measurable schedules of penance, while the canons attributed to John the Faster embedded discipline within a more flexible, ascetic, and pastoral process. This study concludes that these differences reflect broader institutional and historical conditions. In the Latin West, where political fragmentation limited centralized authority, penitential manuals provided clergy with structured tools for regulating moral life. In the Byzantine East, where ecclesiastical practice operated within a stable imperial and canonical framework, penitential discipline remained integrated into a broader system of pastoral care. Penitential literature, therefore, functioned as a practical mechanism of moral governance, shaping both individual behavior and the organization of Christian society.
Recommended Citation
Dodson, Elijah C., "Penitential Systems in the Latin West and Byzantine East" (2026). Honors Theses. 3508.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3508
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Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Biblical Studies Commons, Byzantine and Modern Greek Commons, Catholic Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Gender Commons, History of Religion Commons, Legal Commons, Medieval History Commons, Medieval Studies Commons, Other History Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Religion Law Commons, Social History Commons, Women's History Commons