An educated bishop in an age of reform: Marbode, Bishop of Rennes, 1096--1123 (France)

Marbode, bishop of Rennes (1096–1123), is well known as one of the poets whose works laid the foundation for a revival of classical Latin in the twelfth century; far less known, however, are the events of his episcopacy, which offer a case-study of the conflicting claims of French secular rulers and the papacy in the latter years of the Gregorian Reform. Marbode was elected and consecrated bishop of Rennes at the council of Tours by Pope Urban II (1088–1099), who had vowed to continue the reforms of the secular clergy mandated by his predecessor, Pope Gregory VII (1073–1085). This dissertation argues that Marbode was not an ardent reformer, however, but, rather, took a moderate stance on the issues raised by the papal reforming party. Marbode's accession directly served the ambitions of Count Fulk le Réchin of Anjou (1068–1109) to expand his influence into Brittany and Maine. An Angevin by birth, Marbode was from a family whose members served in the count's entourage. My analysis of the circumstances of Marbode's accession suggests that Count Fulk decisively influenced Marbode's election, despite its conciliar setting. Marbode's support for the installation of Rainaldus of Martigné as bishop of Angers (1102–1125), against strong clerical opposition, also indicate that Marbode was not opposed to pre-Gregorian criteria for selection of bishops, in particular, the influence of the count in episcopal selection.; Marbode's episcopacy also reveals the pragmatic response of an educated bishop to the popular evangelists who circulated through northwestern France in the late eleventh and early twelfth century, who presented a threat to the diocesan structure of Angers and, perhaps, Rennes. Although the intellectual bishop criticized some of the tenets of the itinerant preachers, he nevertheless argued for their inclusion into the established, institutional church, perhaps as the most effective way to end their dissent; he also assisted several of these preachers when they founded monasteries in Brittany and Anjou.; The dissertation is accompanied by a catalog of Marbode's acta , one hundred nineteen juridical acts in which Marbode took part. Letters written by Bishop Marbode, as well as letters addressed to or concerning him, are presented and translated in three appendixes. Appendix IV discusses Marbode's birthdate, and miscellaneous relevant texts are presented and translated in Appendix V.