Power and Religion in Merovingian Gaul: Columbanian Monasticism and the Frankish Elites - Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought: Fourth Series

This is the first thorough investigation of the activities of the Columbanian congregation and their role in the development of Western monasticism. It discusses the tremendous influence Columbanian monasteries had on the formation of the Merovingian elites and on the ways piety and power were expressed in Frankish society.