Publisher's description:
The Highlander has never enjoyed a good press, and has been usually characterised as peripheral and barbaric in comparison to his Lowland neighbour, more inclined to fighting than serving God. In Clerics and Clansmen Iain MacDonald examines how the medieval Church in Gaelic Scotland, often regarded as isolated and irrelevant, continued to function in the face of poverty, periodic warfare, and the formidable powers of the clan chiefs. Focusing upon the diocese of Argyll, the study analyses the life of the bishopric, before broadening to consider the parochial clergy – in particular origins, celibacy, education, and pastoral care. Far from being superficial, it reveals a Church deeply embedded within its host society while remaining plugged into the mainstream of Latin Christendom.

Table of contents:
IX List of Figures
XI Figures
XIX List of Tables
XXI Tables
XXXIII List of Maps
XXXV Maps
XLI Acknowledgements
XLIII Abbreviations
XLIX Note on Nomenclature
1 Introduction
19 1 The Origins of the Bishopric of Argyll
61 2 The Late Medieval Bishopric and Its Bishops
109 3 The Origins of the Clergy
163 4 Clerical Celibacy, Illegitimacy and Hereditary Succession
205 5 Education and Learning
233 6 Pluralism, Non-Residency and Pastoral Care
265 Conclusion
271 Appendix A Parochial fasti of the Diocese of Argyll to 1560
359 Appendix B List of University-Educated Benefijiced Clergy by Institution
367 Bibliography
391 Index.