In the late fourth century, in the absence of formal church councils, bishops from all over the Western Empire wrote to the Pope asking for advice on issues inc

Explains the rise in demand for papal judgments from the 4th century to the 13th century, and how these decretals were later understood.

Bringing together ancient and medieval history, Papal Jurisprudence, c. 385-c. 1234 explains why bishops sought judgments from the papacy long before it exerted