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Books in Brief

April 28, 2023

Sacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State

Author: Anna Grzymała-Busse

Via Princeton University Press

The cover of the book Sacred Foundations alongside a photo of its author, Anna Grzymala-Busse
Book image courtesy of Princeton University Press. Anna Grzymała-Busse. Photo by Harrison Truong for Stanford University.

“Sacred Foundations argues that the medieval church was a fundamental force in European state formation. Existing accounts focus on early modern warfare or contracts between the rulers and the ruled. In contrast, this major study shows that the Catholic Church both competed with medieval monarchs and provided critical templates for governing institutions, the rule of law, and parliaments.”

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