Contextualizing Marriage: Conjugality And Christian Life In Jonas Of Orleans' De Institutione Laicali

The De institutione laicali by Jonas of Orleans has frequently been examined as a source for conjugal life in the Carolingian period, but rarely analysed in its entirety. In this article I propose an overall reading of the text, based on the version addressed to Count Matfrid before 828, in order to place the chapters about marriage in their context. I will formulate new interpretations of its purposes - arguing that Book II was configured as a speculum comitale - and of Jonas's view of marriage. The De institutione laicali will therefore be shown to have served the needs of Carolingian representations of society and public power.