Inventing the Church: The Pull of the Past in Ecclesial Politics

Why is the official narrative of the history of the Catholic Church so discordant with the archival sources of the Middle Ages? From the fifteenth century down to the present day, the Church has constructed an identity and a past at odds with what the records show--expanding the authority and power of the papacy in ways that have striking broader political implications.

This audacious and nuanced book explores how the Church has repeatedly invented and reinvented itself through a constant back-and-forth between narratives of the Middle Ages and modernity. Bénédicte Sère excavates and traces this history through seven pivotal concepts in long-standing debates over papal power and the nature of the Church. Providing critical readings of the medieval sources on which later positions have been based, she chronicles how the Church has officially interpreted--and misinterpreted--its own past in order to serve the needs of the present and to create a narrative for posterity.

Drawing on a wide range of classic and recent works published in French, German, Italian, and English, this book offers a bold reinterpretation of Church history and historiography. Inventing the Church also speaks more broadly to questions concerning the interpretation of foundational documents, the uses of history, and the ways institutions interact with their own pasts.

Bénédicte Sère is a member of the Institute Universitaire de France and an associate professor in medieval history at the University of Paris Nanterre. She is a visiting professor at Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Caroline Wazer is a translator and writer who holds a PhD in ancient Roman history from Columbia University.

Caroline Walker Bynum is University Professor Emerita at Columbia University and professor emerita of medieval European history at the Institute for Advanced Study.