The Church-State Conflict under King Magnus the Lawmender of Norway, 1261–81: A Reinterpretation

This article challenges the applicability to thirteenth-century Norway of the classical narrative of conflict between church and state. The legal reforms of King Magnus ‘the Lawmender’ (r.1263–80) have often been placed within this framework, but with little evidentiary basis. In contrast, the little studied Bishop Arni’s Saga portrays the king as a persistent friend of the church and its jurisdictional rights. By re-examining the evidence, and carefully studying the laws Magnus ‘mended’, this contradiction between these two interpretations is resolved. Instead of a narrative of conflict, it is suggested that the best framework for understanding the reign of King Magnus, his laws, and his relationship with the church is through the concept of co-inhering powers which are separate but overlapping, distinct but co-essential. This framework, as articulated in Norwegian law, provides a useful new framework for rethinking church-state conflicts throughout medieval history.