Spiritual Kinship in Europe, 1500-1900

Stretching from the end of the Middle Ages to the Second Industrial Revolution (c. 1500-1900), this volume analyzes spiritual kinship in Europe and its associated social customs - with special attention given to godparenthood. These customs had great importance for Early Modern and Modern European societies, and this collection represents an interdisciplinary effort to combine the work of social and economic historians, historical demographers, anthropologists and sociologists. Arranged chronologically and geographically, chapters cover specific areas of the European continent, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Reconstructing changes in theological thought about spiritual kinship, particularly before and after the Reformation, and comparing Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox views and practices, the book provides a comprehensive picture of how social and economic practices and religious ideas related to spiritual kinship and godparenthood.