"Beyond the Monarchical Church Model: Liturgy, Manuscripts, and Bishops in the Kingdom of Poland. Case Studies from the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries," in: Die 'Episkopalisierung der Kirche' im europäischen Vergleich, eds. A. Bihrer, H. Röckelein (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2022), p. 361–404. By Paweł Figurski

https://www.academia.edu/86048619/_Beyond_the_Monarchical_Church_Model_Liturgy_Manuscripts_and_Bishops_in_the_Kingdom_of_Poland_Case_Studies_from_the_Eleventh_and_Twelfth_Centuries_in_Die_Episkopalisierung_der_Kirche_im_europ%C3%A4ischen_Vergleich_eds_A_Bihrer_H_R%C3%B6ckelein_Berlin_Walter_de_Gruyter_2022_p_361_404?nav_from=f491a44d-8271-4b99-9776-e1961b07d885 In this paper, I would like to venture beyond the predominant historiographical framework of the "monarchical Church" and focus on other areas of episcopal activity, usually omitted from examination, but which were at the core of bishops’ activities — namely, the leadership in Christian worship. I argue that the liturgical manuscripts from the Piast realms, usually overlooked or analyzed outside of their proper societal and political context, shed light on the polyvalent agency of various bishops, including in respect to the Piast rulers. The codices from medieval Poland used during ecclesiastical services, if analyzed properly, tell a different story than that usually encountered in the narratives on the "monarchical Church". This paper, although not examining the foundations on which the "monarchical Church" model was elevated, analyzes medieval Church in the Piast realms from another viewpoint, offering insights into concerns other than those usually present in recent historiography. To unfold this different perspective, I will first describe the significance of the liturgy for episcopal self-conceptualization in the late tenth to early eleventh centuries, including an example of a hierarch active in the Piast realm. Having laid these foundations, I will then move to the extant corpus of Polish manuscripts, offering a reconsideration of selected liturgical codices, which have been misinterpreted in previous scholarship primarily because they were analyzed within the framework of the "monarchical Church". Finally, I will briefly examine hitherto largely unknown pontificals, produced before 1200 and preserved in Poland, that provide insight into the manifold activities of bishops in one of the Central European dioceses but lack developed political liturgy, which would be expected if one subscribes to the "monarchical Church" vision. ...