LA PRASSI PENITENZIALE NELLA CHIESA: I «LIBRI PENITENZIALI» NELL'ALTO MEDIOEVO.

This article treats the so-called "Penitential Books" produced in the British Isles, especially in the Benedictine abbeys, in the high middle ages and intended for the use of confessors to assign penances to penitents. These books were the product of an insulated praxis of penance which was unfamiliar with public penitence, and which became widespread in Europe as the result of monastic missionary activity and the disuse of the ancient form of "canonical" or public penance. The article presents a comprehensive and synthetic overview of these penitential books including their origin, character, diffusion, merits and deficiencies. Extracts of several penitential books are also provided. The notes offer crossreferences to collections of the penitential books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]