Peter Damian and the Communication of Local Reform

This essay focuses on the letters of Peter Damian to study the on-the-ground consequences of reform. In the context of one of the most dynamic periods of the Middle Ages, the eleventh century, the analysis explores how notions about monastic reform traveled through (Saint) Peter Damian’s communication network. Putting his letters into conversation with the monastic charters reveals the extent of the circulation of ideas and practices. The article argues that personal relationships were central to expanding Damian’s reform program. Using social network theory to identify points of contact out of which social relationships developed, this study locates patterns of communication.