The Power of Kings; Monarchy and Religion in Europe 1589-1715

by Paul Kléber Monod

• ISBN13: 9780300078107
• ISBN10: 0300078102
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 1999-09-10
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

In the sixteenth century, the kings of Europe were like gods to their subjects. Within 150 years, however, this view of monarchs had altered dramatically: a king was the human, visible sign of the rational state. How did such a momentous shift in political understanding come about? This sweeping book explores the changing cultural significance of the power of European kings from the assassination of France's Henry III to the death of Louis XIV. Paul Kleber Monod draws on political history, political philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and literature to understand the relationship between kings and their political subjects and the interplay between monarchy and religion. He also makes use of 35 paintings and statues to illuminate the changing public images of kings.

Discussing monarchies throughout Europe, from Britain to Russia, Monod tells how sixteenth-century kings and queens were thought to heal the sick with a touch, were mediators between divine authority and the Christian self in quasi-religious ceremonies, and were seen as ideal mirrors, of human ide

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
CHAPTER ONE Introduction	1	(32)
CHAPTER TWO The Sickness of the Royal Body, 1589-1610	33	(48)
CHAPTER THREE The Theatre of Royal Virtue, 1610-1637	81	(62)
CHAPTER FOUR No King but King Jesus, 1637-1660	143	(62)
CHAPTER FIVE The Sign of the Artificial Man, 1660-1690	205	(68)
CHAPTER SIX The State Remains, 1690-1715	273	(44)
CHAPTER SEVEN Conclusion	317	(12)
Notes	329	(78)
Index	407