A Cultural History of Democracy in the Medieval Age
Offering a broad exploration of the cultural history of democracy in the medieval age, this volume claims that, though not generally associated with the term, the Middle Ages deserve to be included in a general history of democracy. The term was never widely employed during this period, the dominant attitude towards democracy was outright hostility, and none of the medieval polities thought of itself as a democracy. Despite this, this study highlights a wide variety of ideas, practices, procedures, and institutions that, although different from their ancient predecessor (direct democracy) or modern successor (liberal representative democracy), played a significant role in the history of democracy.

This volume covers almost 1,000 years and a wide range of territories. It deals with different political spheres (ecclesiastical and secular) and socio-political settings (courtly, urban, and rural) and examines the phenomenon from the local level up to the universal realm. This volume adopts a broad cultural approach and is structured thematically.

Each chapter takes a theme as its focus: sovereignty; liberty and the rule of law; the common good; economic and social democracy; religion and the principles of political obligation; citizenship and gender; ethnicity, race, and nationalism; democratic crises, revolutions, and civil resistance; international relations; and the scalability of democracy beyond the limits of a single city. These ten themes add up to an extensive, synoptic coverage of the subject.

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A Cultural History of Democracy in the Medieval Age
Offering a broad exploration of the cultural history of democracy in the medieval age, this volume claims that, though not generally associated with the term, the Middle Ages deserve to be included in a general history of democracy. The term was never widely employed during this period, the dominant attitude towards democracy was outright hostility, and none of the medieval polities thought of itself as a democracy. Despite this, this study highlights a wide variety of ideas, practices, procedures, and institutions that, although different from their ancient predecessor (direct democracy) or modern successor (liberal representative democracy), played a significant role in the history of democracy.

This volume covers almost 1,000 years and a wide range of territories. It deals with different political spheres (ecclesiastical and secular) and socio-political settings (courtly, urban, and rural) and examines the phenomenon from the local level up to the universal realm. This volume adopts a broad cultural approach and is structured thematically.

Each chapter takes a theme as its focus: sovereignty; liberty and the rule of law; the common good; economic and social democracy; religion and the principles of political obligation; citizenship and gender; ethnicity, race, and nationalism; democratic crises, revolutions, and civil resistance; international relations; and the scalability of democracy beyond the limits of a single city. These ten themes add up to an extensive, synoptic coverage of the subject.

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A Cultural History of Democracy in the Medieval Age

A Cultural History of Democracy in the Medieval Age

A Cultural History of Democracy in the Medieval Age

A Cultural History of Democracy in the Medieval Age

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Overview

Offering a broad exploration of the cultural history of democracy in the medieval age, this volume claims that, though not generally associated with the term, the Middle Ages deserve to be included in a general history of democracy. The term was never widely employed during this period, the dominant attitude towards democracy was outright hostility, and none of the medieval polities thought of itself as a democracy. Despite this, this study highlights a wide variety of ideas, practices, procedures, and institutions that, although different from their ancient predecessor (direct democracy) or modern successor (liberal representative democracy), played a significant role in the history of democracy.

This volume covers almost 1,000 years and a wide range of territories. It deals with different political spheres (ecclesiastical and secular) and socio-political settings (courtly, urban, and rural) and examines the phenomenon from the local level up to the universal realm. This volume adopts a broad cultural approach and is structured thematically.

Each chapter takes a theme as its focus: sovereignty; liberty and the rule of law; the common good; economic and social democracy; religion and the principles of political obligation; citizenship and gender; ethnicity, race, and nationalism; democratic crises, revolutions, and civil resistance; international relations; and the scalability of democracy beyond the limits of a single city. These ten themes add up to an extensive, synoptic coverage of the subject.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781350440074
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 02/08/2024
Series: The Cultural Histories Series
Pages: 280
Sales rank: 1,015,017
Product dimensions: 6.70(w) x 9.55(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

David Napolitano is Assistant Professor in Medieval History at Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Kenneth J. Pennington is Emeritus Kelly-Quinn Professor of Ecclesiastical and Legal History at the Catholic University of America, USA.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
General Editor's Preface

Introduction
David Napolitano (Leiden University, Netherlands) and Kenneth J. Pennington (Catholic University of America, USA)

1. Sovereignty
Kenneth J. Pennington (Catholic University of America, USA)

2. Liberty and the Rule of Law
Atria A. Larson (Saint Louis University, USA)

3. The Common Good
Jan Dumolyn (Ghent University, Belgium)

4. Economic and Social Democracy
Peter Hoppenbrouwers (Leiden University, Netherlands)

5. Religion and the Principles of Political Obligation
Joseph Canning (University of Cambridge, UK)

6. Citizenship and Gender
Edward Muir (Northwestern University, USA)

7. Ethnicity, Race, and Nationalism
Walter Pohl (University of Vienna, Austria)

8. Democratic Crises, Revolutions, and Civil Resistance
Jelle Haemers (University of Leuven, Belgium)

9. International Relations
Dante Fedele (French National Center for Scientific Research, France)

10. Beyond the Polis
Gianluca Raccagni (University of Edinburgh, UK)

Notes
References
Notes on Contributors
Index

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