The Penitential State: Authority and Atonement in the Age of Louis the Pious, 814 840

By Mayke De Jong

Book Overview

In 833 emperor Louis the Pious, Charlemagne's son, submitted to a public penance in the wake of a rebellion by his three elder sons. This penance amounted to a deposition, for Louis was to atone for his sins for the rest of his life. However, only half a year later, he was back on the throne again. In this evaluation of Louis' reign, Mayke de Jong argues that his penance was the outcome of a political discourse and practice in which the accountability of the Frankish ruler to God played an increasingly central role. However heated their debates, this was a moral high ground Louis shared with churchmen and secular magnates. Through a profound re-reading of texts by contemporary authors who reflected on legitimate authority in times of crisis, this book reveals a world in which political crime was defined as sin, and royal authority was enhanced by atonement.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521205204
• ISBN13: 9780521205207
• Release Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"