Geweihte Sünder

Kevin Kulp

Sexueller Kindesmissbrauch und Sodomie im mittelalterlichen Kirchenrecht

Studien zur europäischen Rechtsgeschichte 345
(Recht im ersten Jahrtausend 4)
Frankfurt am Main: Klostermann 2025. XIX, 454 S.

ISBN: 978-3-465-04620-2

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Sexual abuse of children by clergymen in the context of the Christian Church is not just a present-day phenomenon. For centuries, the Church has struggled with the question of how best to deal with sexual abusers from within its own ranks. Kevin Kulp’s analysis reconstructs the normative development of the concept of abuse in Church law from its beginnings in late antiquity up to the Reformation. Taking up a broad perspective spanning centuries, the traditions of the (Catholic) Church in dealing with sexual abuse become visible, and the underlying self-image of Church actors are embedded in a historical context. Information about the past and the legal traditions that remain in force today can assist us in resolving current problems that fundamentally affect the relationship between the state and the Church.