This comprehensive history traces the origins and evolution of simony in the Christian church from its earliest days to the death of Charlemagne in 814. Simony is the practice of buying or selling ecclesiastical offices, and has been a source of controversy throughout the history of Christianity. This book provides a detailed account of the theological, political, and social factors that contributed to the development of this practice. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.