Scribes, Synods, and Sermons: Legal Diffusion and the Rise of Mass Expulsion in Late Medieval Europe

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, mass expulsion emerged as a characteristic feature of European political practice. Among the targets of these expulsions were moneylenders (especially Jews and foreigners), whose supposedly usurious practices put them in the crosshairs of secular and ecclesiastical authorities alike. In this chapter, I examine how new legal norms concerning the banishment of usurers spread throughout western Europe. In particular, I explore how these norms were reimagined, rewritten, or resisted as they began to circulate outside of codified legal texts: in short, how the travels of law led to its transformation.

Note: This is a discussion based workshop of work-in-progress with the expectation that those attending have read the workshop materials. Please contact Jacquelyn E. Burt at ruppx077@umn.edu for a copy of the materials.