ordeals

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church | 2000 | 700+ words | Copyright

ordeals. A method of judicial proof used in early medieval Europe in cases where sworn testimony and the evidence of witnesses was thought insufficient to establish guilt or innocence. The accused was subjected to some physical test, such as walking on heated ploughshares; success or failure was demonstrated by the physical consequences, such as a ‘clean’ wound or a septic one. The ordeal was normally administered by the Church, and the blessing of a priest was required for its administration. It was seen as providing God's verdict on the accusation. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) prohibited the participation of the clergy in the ceremony, which was abandoned quickly in some countries and slowly disappeared completely.

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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "ordeals." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "ordeals." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-ordeals.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "ordeals." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-ordeals.html

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