The Politics of Ritual Kinship: Confraternities and Social Order in Early Modern ItalyBetween the twelfth and the eighteenth centuries Italians frequently joined confraternities that made them symbolic brothers and sisters to one another. These kin groups launched extensive charitable programs, directed civic and religious rituals, and socialized members in class and gender roles. These essays examine how medieval religious and political values shaped early ritual kinship, how sixteenth century social change and religious reform