Iuris Canonici Medii Aevi Consociatio (ICMAC), or the International Society of Medieval Canon Law, was founded in 1988 in order to foster and support the study of medieval canon law from the time of the early Church to the later middle ages. ICMAC is a truly international community with members in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Argentina and Japan.
ICMAC’s members are committed to the notion that the study of medieval canon law illuminates many important areas of church history, legal history, social and cultural history, and intellectual history. Because of the special challenges scholars face in working with materials that are usually untranslated, that require expertise in technicalities of law, and that are often available only in medieval manuscripts, this society exists to bring scholars and students of medieval canon law together, in order to share their knowledge, to keep them apprised of important information and events, and to encourage them in their research efforts. In cooperation with the Stephan Kuttner Institute for Medieval Canon Law, ICMAC looks to create an environment of research and instruction for scholars and students alike who wish to approach canon law for enhancing their understanding of the past and the present.
ICMAC’s principal task is the organization of the International Congress of Medieval Canon Law. These Congresses, which began in Louvain in 1958 and have been held every four years since 1968, alternatively take place in North America and in Europe. Each Congress produces a lengthy volume of the Proceedings that are published in the Monumenta Iuris Canonici series. The Sixteenth Congress was held from July 17-23, at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
On behalf of the ICMAC Board, I first of all invite you to join our Society, details about which can be found on this site. I would also like to invite you to consult this website for notices of conferences, symposia, grants and bursaries, publications, as well as issues of the electronic publication Novellae: News of Medieval Canon Law produced by Anders Winroth. We intend to create a members’ forum on this website where individuals can post announcements about events and current research, seek information and discuss scholarly questions. In the meanwhile, please feel free to contact the Officers or Advisory Board members (whose areas of expertise are given on the Officers page) with queries or suggestions. We can respond to questions in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, and even Japanese.
Kate Cushing
President, ICMAC
February 2010