Il sovrano e la Chiesa - Le souverain et l’Église

This volume investigates the relations that each sovereign entertains with the Church, to which he is joined by a relationship of integration or biunivocal dependence. Such complex and intrinsic connections are at the heart of recurring Christian imperial dynamics and clearly express some of the characteristic features of “derived” or “second” imperiality. Deeply rooted in biblical and historical examples, such as those of David, of the Moses/Aaron couple, of Constantine, of Theodosius, of Justinian, this form of imperiality reveals the sovereign’s influence on the religious system, but, at the same time, also his own submission to the clergy. The aim of the book is therefore to explore the various forms of interaction between kingship and the ecclesiastical structure: from the competitive conflict that ensued in different epochs also resulted the emulation of the imperial theological-political model by monarchical, princely and even papal institutions.