History of European Morals From Augustus to Charlemagne (Vol. 2 of 2)

The author traces the evolution of moral thought from the late Roman world into the early medieval era, analyzing how Christian doctrine and institutions reshaped popular ethics and social practice. He contrasts philosophical pagan ethics with the church’s moral teaching, highlights the introduction of doctrines of sin, personal retribution, and future judgment, and shows how preaching, confession, and sacramental discipline made moral instruction pervasive. The study considers the interplay of fear and aspiration as motives for virtue, explores institutional mechanisms for moral reform, and discusses consequent social changes, including shifting expectations for gender roles and the position of women.