Da institucionalização do monacato a monaquização do episcopado na Provença de João Cassiano e dos Ierinianos (seculos IV eV)

Abstract

Hereupon it was sought to determine the position held by the monks in the Provencal clericalist structure and the role interpreted by them in the enunciating of the socialpolitical ties of the Gauls, as well as the formation of a notion concerning the fundamental authority to exercise power over lands and men from the bishop's part, which was consolidated in the sixth century. In order to develop this research, we relied on a varied source of documents, arising from, in its majority, from the Provence area, in the south of Gaul. The documents used here were ultimately produced in the period between 390 and 470 A.D., which was considered the "golden era" of the Lerins abbey, which was also the origin of the most important bishops of Gaul. In this research attention is also paid to the monkhood perspective presented and uncovered by one of the main theorists of the Gaulish monkhood, John Cassian. Therefore, this work concerns the process of institutionalization of the Provence monastic life, which was laid down by John Cassian and accomplished at Lerins abbey. Such process is seen as a fundamental and determining stage for the strengthening of the Episcopal role.