The first part of this volume describes the development of the imperial church under Constantine the Great up to the time of Theodosius the Great (347-395) and Justinian (482-565), including the dogmatic and most notably the Christological disputes, as well as developments of a general nature and those relating to church politics. The second half focuses on the area of Western European from the 6th to the 7th century up to the start of the Western Schism (1378). Among other things it covers the development of theological doctrine, concepts of education with particular reference to universities, forms of piety, heretical movements, proselytism, the Crusades and the development of concepts of the world and of history.

Prof. Dr. Raphaela Averkorn lehrt Mittlere und Neuere Geschichte an der Universität Gießen. Prof. Dr. Horst Callies lehrte Alte Geschichte an der Universität Hannover. Dr. Beatrix Günnewig ist Leiterin der Städtischen Hauptschule Kamen.