Legal Pluralism in Early Modern Catholicism

Legal pluralism is a key concept for understanding the interplay of co-existing laws, overlapping jurisdictions and the multiple demands of justice within early modern political constellations. The term, however, appears to be problematic when applied to the legal structure of the Catholic Church. How is it possible to reconcile the idea of a plurality of laws and judicial authorities with the papal claim of supremacy? The book investigates three aspects: the civil and secular jurisdiction of papal and episcopal courts; the independent regulations of religious orders; and the comparison with the legal framework of other Christian Churches. Through different case-studies the book aims to provide the reader with an overview of the multi-layered normative orders of early modern Catholicism.