The Medieval Church: A Brief History argues for the pervasiveness of the Church in every aspect of life in medieval Europe. It shows how the institution of the Church attempted to control the lives and behaviour of medieval people, for example, through canon law, while at the same time being influenced by popular movements like the friars and heresy.

List of figures. List of maps. Preface to the 1st edition. Preface to the 2nd edition. Publisher's acknowledgements. Glossary. Chapter 1: The basics of Christianity. Chapter 2: Ancient Christianity. Chapter 3: Beginnings of the medieval church. Chapter 4: The conversion of the west (350-700). Chapter 5: The Papal-Frankish Alliance. Chapter 6: The church in the Carolingian Empire. Chapter 7: The Carolingian Renaissance. Chapter 8: The collapse of the Carolingian world. Chapter 9: The church in the year 1000. Chapter 10: The eleventh-century reforms. Chapter 11: The rise of Christendom. Chapter 12: The age of the papacy. Chapter 13: The New Testament revival. Chapter 14: Monastic life in the twelfth century. Chapter 15: The heretics. Chapter 16: The friars. Chapter 17: The schools. Chapter 18: The sacramental life. Chapter 19: Crisis and calamity. Chapter 20: The church in the fifteenth century. Chapter 21: Epilogue. Index.