 | Bigamy and Christian Identity in Late Medieval Champagne Subjects: Bigamy -- France -- Champagne-Ardenne -- History -- To 1500; Bigamy (Canon law) -- History -- To 1500; Marriage -- France -- Champagne-Ardenne -- History -- To 1500; Marriage (Canon law) -- History -- To 1500; This book investigates the earliest known prosecutions of bigamy. In fifteenth-century Champagne, ordinary Christians valued marriage enough to risk criminal prosecution for illegal remarriage. Meanwhile, Church officials regarded bigamy as a grave threat to Christian identity and subjected male bigamists to harsh punishment. Sara McDougall teaches history at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. |
