Abstract:
This study argues that punishment was a tool for inclusion rather than exclusion in the early medieval period. As sin was an inevitable feature of Christian life, the Church needed to provide for its members a process where they could address their shortcomings as soon as they occurred. Different forms of punishment allowed the sinner to confess, receive and complete the recommended penance, and be restored back to their community. Penitential handbooks, hagiographies and miracle stories have been analysed in this study to explore the nature and function of punishment during the early medieval period. However, this study is unique as these texts have been viewed through the lens of Mātaurānga Māori, which has revealed the intimate connections between the clergy, the laity and the wider Christian community. The use of Mātaurānga Māori has helped illuminate aspects of the medieval world, and helped re-think the way in which early medieval Christians used and viewed punishment.
