Publisher's description:
A revolution shook the Christian world in the second half of the eleventh century. Many eminent historians point to Hildebrand, later Gregory VII (1073-1085), as the prime mover of this movement that aspired to free the Church from secular entanglements, and to return it to its state of paleochristian purity. I see the reform from the perspective of much wider developments such as the split between the Greek and the Latin Churches and the Norman infiltration of Southern Italy. Contentrating on the popes and the antipopes I delve into the character and motivations of the important personae, and do not see the movement as a smooth line of progress. I see the outcome as reversal of power of what had been a strong empire and a weak papacy.

Table of contents:
Acknowledgments
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
1 Imperial Authority over Papal Elections
The Patricius Romanorum
Bonizo
Petrus Damiani
Benzo
The response of the reformers
2 Henry III's Popes
Henry's authority
The Three Iniquitous Popes
Clement II
Damasus II
3 Leo IX (1049-1054): The Normans and the Byzantines
The Election of Bishop Bruno of Toul
The Normans
The Byzantine Empire
The first wedge between Eastern and Western Churches
Leo's Legacy
Summary and Conclusion
4 Victor II (1055-1057) and Stephen IX (1057-1058)
Part 1: Victor II (1055-1057)
Conflicting Sources
The House of Lotharingia/Canossa
The Normans
After Henry III's Death
Part 2: Stephen IX (1057-1058)
The Lotharingia/Canossa Alliance
Stephen IX's Reign
The Significance of Stephen IX's reign
5 Benedict X, Antipope: Romans versus Reformers
The Elections of Benedict X and Nicholas II
Benedict's tragic Reign
The Pierleoni
Petrus Damiani
Leo of Ostia
Liber Pontificalis
German Sources
Bonizo
Panvinius
Conclusion
6 Nicholas II (1059-1061)
Background and Election
Coronation
The Collection of 74 Titles
7 Nicholas II: Papal Electoral Decree and Break with the Regency
The Papal Electoral Decree of 1059
Two Versions of the Papal Electoral Decree
Signatures
Panvinius
Cardinal Bishops and the King
Questions continue
8 Nicholas II: The Normans and the Collapse of Imperial Goodwill
The New Norman Policy
The North
A Critical Reign
9 The Election of Alexander II (1061-1073)
Anselm as Bishop
Patarines
Anselm, Nicholas II and the Regency
The Role of Hildebrand
How the Election was carried out
Conclusion
10 The Election of Cadalus, Honorius II
Cadalus as Bishop
After the death of Nicholas II
The Council of Basel
Hugo Candidus
Empress Agnes
Petrus Damiani
Papal Authority and the Lombards
11 Conflict in Rome and the Abduction of Henry IV
Benzo in Rome
The Arrival of Cadalus
Only an Electus
Kaiserswerth
The Kidnapping
12 From Kaiserswerth to Mantua
The Effects of the Abduction on the Schism
The Council of Augsburg
Dissension within the German Church
The Easter Council of 1063 and the renewal of violence
Cadalus Returns to Rome
War
Change of Fortunes and the appeal to the King
Conclusion
13 The Council of Mantua
Petrus Damiani Calls for a Council
The Council of Mantua (May 31-June 3, 1064)
Benzo's Purported Exposé
Analysis of Mantua
14 Instability Following Mantua
Adalbert of Bremen and Anno
Quedlinburg
Ceremony of Henry's Coming of Age
Anno's Letters
Letter of Petrus Damiani to Henry
15 Ambivalence and Self Interest
Expedition of Godfrey to Rome
Expedition of Anno, Henry of Trent, and Otto of Bavaria to Italy
Petrus Mezzabarba
Beatrice and Godfrey Chastised
Hugo Candidus
Cencius Stephani
Frayed loyalties and the Deaths of Cadalus and Alexander II
Conclusion The State of the Papacy at the End of the Schism
Bibliography
Index