I have two questions for you and for both of these it would help to know something about the Roman Catholic Church in the past. Anyway, firstly, did dioceasan bishops always have to reside within the confines of their dioceases? Also, who was the first to propose that the Bible should be interpreted literally?

This site has a early history of the Catholic Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Catholic_Church

Briefly, no, bishops did not always live within a diocese.

Remember the Bible was not an official part of the religion for many years. Many religions still do not interpret it "literally".

The question of literal interpretation is sort of a hard question to answer. As long as writings and literary styles have been available, groups of people have always taken many of them literally. (Not to say it was intended to be that way).

So, in a sense, ever since the stories were written or even told orally, there were likely people that took them literally.

What you might be asking about is more the rise of fundamentalism in America, which has a lot of implications to what the (for lack of a better term) "pop-culture" view of Christianity is.

Look up William Riley and John Nelson Darby. Dwight Moody is another person to look into.

Many of the doctrines of the Catholic and Orthodox churches were the results of agreements made at the Council of Nicaea (also spelled Nicea), a small town in present day Turkey, in A.D. 325. The meeting was convened by Roman emperor Constantine to resolve ongoing disputes among the clergy. About 318 of the 1800 who were invited attended. Their travel expenses were paid by Constantine. The decision of which Gospels would become part of the Bible was among the topics of the Council of Nicaea.

I recommend further reading about the Council of Nicaea and the history of Byzantium to help answer your question. I found the book "The Short History of Byzantium" by John Norwich particularly illuminating

To answer your first question about diocesan bishops in the Roman Catholic Church, it is important to have a historical perspective. In the past, the expectation for diocesan bishops to reside within their dioceses varied over time.

During the early centuries of the Church, it was common for bishops to primarily reside within their dioceses. The bishop was seen as the shepherd of the local Christian community and was responsible for overseeing the spiritual needs of the faithful in their specific area. This residence allowed them to be actively engaged in the pastoral care of their diocesan community.

However, as the Church evolved and grew, and as the responsibilities of bishops expanded, it became more challenging for every bishop to reside solely in their diocese. Especially during the Middle Ages, when bishops gained additional secular powers and political roles, it was not uncommon for them to be involved in regional or national affairs. As a result, some bishops would spend significant amounts of time away from their diocese, attending to these broader responsibilities.

It's important to note that while physical presence within their diocese was encouraged, there were also legitimate reasons for bishops to be absent. For instance, they might be called to attend important Church councils or carry out diplomatic missions on behalf of the Church.

Regarding your second question about who first proposed interpreting the Bible literally, it is a topic of ongoing scholarly debate. The concept of biblical literalism, where the text is understood in a strict and straightforward manner, has evolved over time, and pinpointing a specific individual as the originator is challenging.

However, it is worth noting that the Church Fathers, early theologians of the Christian Church, often approached the Bible allegorically or typologically, seeking deeper spiritual meanings rather than a strict literal interpretation. This approach continued for centuries.

It wasn't until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that the idea of interpreting the Bible literally gained more prominence, particularly among reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin. They emphasized the individual's ability to directly understand Scripture and rejected certain traditional interpretative methods.

It is essential to recognize that the interpretation of the Bible has varied throughout history, influenced by theological, cultural, and historical contexts. The development of different interpretative approaches continues to this day, with various denominations and scholars adopting different perspectives.