English Penitential Discipline and Anglo-Saxon Law in Their Joint Influence (Columbia Studies in the Social Sciences, 242.)

Oakley, Thomas Pollack. English Penitential Discipline and Anglo-Saxon Law in Their Joint Influence. New York: Columbia University Press, 1923. 226 pp. Reprint available 2003 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 2002042753. ISBN 1-58477-302-2. Cloth. $65. Penitentials are manuals for confessors that outline penances and their fines. They originated in the Celtic church and their use spread throughout the British Isles during the early middle ages. Though restricted to church discipline, they often influenced secular law. Beginning with a history and discussion of the penitentials, Oakley examines the legal traditions that influenced their development and their reciprocal influence on the development of the common law. Originally published as Volume CVII, Number 2 in Columbia's series, Studies in History, Economics and Public Law.