The volume addresses the issue of ecclesiastical organization from a bottom-up perspective, focusing on local churches and the bonds they established with monasteries and episcopal sees. 2. It contributes to the understanding of ecclesiastical organization in the Early Middle Ages, showing that – in contrast with the logic of the territorial diocese, developed later – this period was defined by a logic of ecclesiastical articulation based on the individual bonds that linked local churches with the upper ecclesiastical institutions (both episcopal sees and monasteries). It contributes to the study of the early medieval local societies, their social dynamics, and the role of local churches in the configuration of communities, in line with a strand of literature which has shown great vitality in recent years. This volume contributes to a deeper understanding of the different forms of ecclesiastical articulation in early medieval Spain. While traditional studies have focused on higher instances of ecclesiastical power, this work offers a bottom-up perspective centred on the local churches and the bonds they established with monasteries and bishops. This approach engages in a reflection on the nature of the diocese in the Early Middle Ages, as well as furthering our knowledge of early medieval local societies and their social dynamics.
