Canon law intersects with every aspect of medieval life and society, and at one point or another, every medievalist works on the law. In this book, Kriston Rennie looks at the early medieval origins and development of canon law, the ancient traditions, norms, customs, and rationale of the Church which were shaped into legislative procedure. The structures and thinking behind the law's formulation explain how the medieval Church and society was influenced and controlled. They also, as this short book argues, explain how it ultimately functioned.