A criminal world of Carolingian priests

Recent research on Carolingian reform has shown a key role for local priests, addressed by kings and bishops and then passing on admonitions and instruction to congregations throughout the Carolingian Empire. What happened, however, when such priests were themselves badly-behaved? This chapter uses specific cases of clerical misconduct, along with conciliar norms, to look at this Carolingian “criminal world.” How did the offenses reported (sexual misdemeanors, violence, and misuse of church property) relate to social changes in the Carolingian world? How did higher authorities’ attempts to deal with such men also potentially destabilize Carolingian order, creating further problems and increasing criminality?