Historians of the ancien régime have long been interested in the relationship between religion and politics, and yet many issues remain contentious, including the question of sacral monarchy. Scholars are divided over how - and, indeed, if - it actually operated. With its nuanced analysis of the cult of Saint Louis, covering a vast swathe of French history from the Wars of Religion through the zenith of absolute monarchy under Louis XIV to the French Revolution and Restoration, Sacral Kingship in Bourbon France makes a major contribution to this debate and to our overall understanding of France in this fascinating period. Saint Louis IX was the ancestor of the Bourbons and widely regarded as the epitome of good Christian kingship. As such, his cult and memory held a significant place in the political, religious, and artistic culture of Bourbon France. However, as this book reveals, likenesses to Saint Louis were not only employed by royal flatterers but also used by opponents of the monarchy to criticize reigning kings. What, then, does Saint Louis' cult reveal about how monarchies fostered a culture of loyalty, and how did sacral monarchy interact with the dramatic religious, political and intellectual developments of this era? From manuscripts to paintings to music, Sean Heath skilfully engages with a vast array of primary source material and modern debates on sacral kingship to provide an enlightening and comprehensive analysis of the role of Saint Louis in early modern France.

The common theme of these essays is the emergence of the modern state in late medieval and renaissance France. They examine, on the one hand, how the image of the king was enhanced in a variety of royal ceremonials as well as in the political writings of Jean Bodin and Cardin le Bret. The limits of the sovereign's authority, on the other hand, were forcefully enunciated in the works of François Hotman and Théodore de Bèze. The stability of the monarchy was maintained by the noblesse de robe, a new form of hereditary nobility that virtually owned the high judicial and administrative offices they held. The last two articles are devoted, first to the author's view of the concept of the French king's "two bodies" and second to the life of his mentor, Ernst H. Kantorowicz, who wrote the seminal work, The King's Two Bodies.

This book reveals that many of Nicolas Poussin's most renowned mythological and biblical paintings were intended as celebrations of the Bourbon monarchy. It now becomes clear that Poussin, long considered the greatest painter of early modern France, was also preeminent in supporting Bourbon claims and in establishing an early, multilayered iconography of absolutism in French painting. His rhetorical techniques for exalting the Bourbons correspond to the endeavours of Louis XIII and Richelieu in exploiting the arts to create a public image of dynastic continuity. Using an approach of cultural history, this book shows that Poussin's art emerges as a fascinating and even witty mirror of seventeenth-century French culture.

How medieval manuscripts were understood in the 19th and 20th centuries is the basis for this volume co-written by four art historians; Hindman (Northwestern U.), Michael Camille (U. of Chicago), Rowan Watson (Victoria and Albert Museum), and Nina Rowe (Block Museum, Northwestern U.). The attitudes

Held at Philadelphia for promoting useful knowledge.

The last quarter of the fourteenth century in England offers fertile ground for anyone interested in the interplay of power and authority in an aristocratic society.

This study of the reign of Frederick William IV, King of Prussia from 1840 to 1861, focuses on the structures, institutions and transformations of the monarchial system in Prussia during a time of revolutionary change.

The European World 1500-1800 provides a concise and authoritative textbook for the centuries between the Renaissance and the French Revolution. It presents early modern Europe not as a mere transition phase, but a dynamic period worth studying in its own right. Written by an experienced team of specialists, associated with a university module of the same name, it offers a student-friendly introduction to all major themes and processes of early modern history. Structured in four parts dealing with socio-economic, religious, cultural and political issues, it adopts a broad geographical perspective: Western and Central Europe receive particular attention, but dedicated chapters also explore the wider global context. Thematic priorities include social structures, Reformation change, expanding cultural horizons and the emergence of the modern state. Specially designed to assist learning, The European World 1500-1800 features: up-to-date surveys of key topics written by an international team of historians suggestions for seminar discussion and further reading extracts from primary sources and vivid illustrations, including maps a glossary of key terms and concepts a chronology of major events a full index of persons, places and subjects a fully-featured companion website accessible at www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415432535. The European World 1500-1800 will be essential reading for all students embarking on the discovery of the early modern period.