Admonitio Generalis

The Admonitio generalis is a collection of legislation known as a capitulary issued by Charlemagne in 789, which covers educational and ecclesiastical reform within the Frankish kingdom. Capitularies were used in the Frankish kingdom during the Carolingian dynasty by government and administration bodies and covered a variety of topics, sorted into chapters.Admonitio Generalis is actually just one of many Charlemagne's capitularies that outlined his desire for a well-governed, disciplined Christian Frankish kingdom. The reforms issued in these capitularies by Charlemagne during the late 8th century reflect the cultural revival known as the Carolingian Renaissance.

Charlemagne (742–814) ruled from 771 until his death, and the Frankish kingdom experienced a period of stability during his reign. This was arguably because of his strict and efficient moral and judicial reform and governance, enforced with capitularies like Admonitio Generalis. Indeed, Admonitio Generalis was just one step in Charlemagne's goal of Christian institutions, political structures, and subjects within his Frankish kingdom, and it would be continually adapted and reinforced to meet his objectives. When Charlemagne came to power, he had two goals; territorial expansion and the conversion of all Franks to Christianity, including those recently added to the kingdom. Charlemagne's desire to extend his empire was inseparable from his desire to extend Christianity, so the conquering of other kingdoms was a method often used. This Frank expansion into other realms and their contrast with those people and their religions, for example the arrival of Islam in Spain, has to be considered when considering legal and religious reforms such as Admonitio Generalis and the fever in which they were carried out. Charlemagne was the champion of orthodoxy, and to address his perceived failings of the church and the moral and spiritual health of the Franks, he set out to reform the church and his subjects with the capitulary Admonitio Generalis.

In the Admonitio Generalis, Charlemagne pronounced that he was a "new Josiah", and responsible for the moral health and salvation of his subjects, highlighting Charlemagne's commitment to the Christianization of the Frankish kingdom. He sought to achieve this by reforming the church in pursuit of the moral reform and discipline of the clergy and other ecclesiastical members with the expectation they would lead their followers by example. He also pursued educational reform, requiring monasteries and cathedrals to establish schools to educate boys to read and write in order to make the Bible and other religious texts more accessible and in turn broadening and deepening the spread of Christianity. The schools would also teach religious music, singing and psalms to encourage the spread of the faith, as well as grammar so that religious texts could be revised and edited. To achieve these goals Charlemagne consulted with clerical advisors and rulings from earlier council decisions such as the Dionysio-Hadriana collection of canon law to draw up the 82 chapters of the Admonitio Generalis with particular rulings on the expected behavior, responsibilities, and compliance of the clergy and monks, including the establishment of schools, content of sermons, and an honest weight and measurement system. Charlemagne also championed the use of Roman liturgy, and ordained the memorization and use of Roman chants in the Admonitio Generalis.

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