The External School in Carolingian Society (Education and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Vol 1)

This study defines and chronicles the so-called "external school," a monastic institution often presumed to have trained non-monastic students in Latin literacy. Through an examination of the intentions of political and ecclesiastical leaders, the efffects of missionary activities, and the role of prayer confraternities, it places a long-misunderstood feature of monastic life in a political, social, and economic context.