Advanced seminar "The Fourth Lateran Council. Themes, Contemporary Contexts, Challenges" (block seminar with excursion, 25-27 June 2016)
Prof. Dr Andrea Riedl(andrea.riedl(at)ur.de) (opens your email program), Prof. Dr Jörg Oberste(joerg.oberste(at)ur.de) (opens your email program)
Dates
Preliminary meeting: Tue, 21 April 2026, 16-18h c.t. (PT meeting room 3.0.79);
Block seminar at Admont Monastery: Thu, 25 June 2026 - Sat, 27 June 2026
The seminar will take place in the active Benedictine Abbey of Admont (Styria). We will be travelling with a coach company. There will be 2 overnight stays in double rooms and full board on site. A contribution towards expenses of EUR 50 will be charged. The event is supported by the Volker Nechleba Foundation, the PKGG Faculty, the "Forum Mittelalter" and the Chair of Medieval and Modern Church History. The number of participants is limited to 20.
Topic
The IV Lateran Council in November 1215 was the largest church assembly in history up to that time. Here, under the leadership of Pope Innocent III, groundbreaking resolutions were passed on almost all topics and conflicts that moved the Western Church: the fight against heresies, internal reform of the clergy, improvement of pastoral care in the parishes, reorganisation of church offices, marriage law, relations with the Jews, crusade to the Holy Land, relations with the Greek Church and much more. Many of these topics had previously triggered controversial discussions and sometimes violent conflicts. Based on the 71 decrees of the Council, the seminar will examine the background to individual resolutions and thus delve deep into the religious, political, social and economic structures of the time.
Preparatory reading:
- Die Geschichte des Christentums, Mittelalter, Vol. 2: Machtfülle des Papsttums (1054-1274), ed. by André Vauchez et al, Freiburg/Br. 1994/2007, pp. 581-589 (A. Paravicini Bagliani, Das Vierte Laterankonzil).
- Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils/Conciliorum Oecumenicorum Decreta (DÖK/COD), ed. by Giuseppe Alberigo et al., vol. 2: Councils of the Middle Ages, pp. 227-271 (Fourth Lateran Council).
