Those who believe that in the Middle Ages the Church controlled the minds and actions of the faithful have never heard of the good old custom of looting the property of a bishop, even the bishop of Rome, at his death. This was practiced by local townspeople and local authorities. Even though they forbade the practice, kings were not above a more refined form of looting. They often delayed the election of a new bishop so that they could collect the earnings of the see for themselves. Rollo-Koster (medieval history, University of Rhode Island) looks at the tradition of "raiding Saint Peter" and how it played a part in the Great Papal Schism of 1378. How did it begin? When did it become a custom? Was greed the only reason for the looting, or could piety also be involved? The author gives an interesting investigation of a phenomenon that has been largely ignored in the history of ecclesiastical elections. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)