Abstract

This article will explore the theological basis of and justification for this penalty, and the socio-economic implications of such a punishment on the Jews involved through an examination of thirteenth-century documents in the "Significations of Excommunication" series held in The National Archives, London. By closely examining the careers of those particular English prelates who sought to use this penalty in practice and rooting the use of this sanction directly within the political context of mid-thirteenth century England, this article will show how control over the Anglo-Jewish community became a source of conflict in relations between the royal and ecclesiastical authorities, particularly in periods of political and social upheaval.

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