"Reflecting the range of the honorand's interests, the essays in Ritual, Text and Law provide a stimulating exploration of the interrelated fields of medieval canon law and liturgy, chiefly through the scrutiny of texts and their transmission. The studies are grouped thematically under the headings of 'Ritual' and 'Text and Law', with each section having an introduction by the editors, surveying recent developments in the study of medieval canon law and liturgy. Individually, the contributors offer new viewpoints on key issues and questions relating to medieval religious, cultural and intellectual history, particularly of the period c. 900-1200, and especially the Italian peninsula. Collectively they illuminate the interaction of medieval Christianity and its rituals, as well as the relationship of the secular and the sacred as transmitted in liturgico-canonical texts from the time of the early church to the 14th century."--Jacket.