The Penitential State

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.