Men at the Center: Redemptive Governance under Louis IX

Front cover

Me n at t h e Ce n t e r Redemptive G overnance u nder Lou is IX M e n at t h e C e n t e r The Natalie Zemon Davis Annual Lectures William Chester Jordan William Chester Jordan On the Cover: Louis IX as Christ. Carpentras, Biblitohèque inguimbertine, Ms. 1779 fo 74 v. Published in the same series: Lynn Hunt: Measuring Time, Making History Miri Rubin: Emotions and Devotions. The Meaning of Mary in Medieval Religious Cultures Ute Frevert: Emotions in History—Lost and found Eva Österberg: Friendship and Love, Ethics and Politics. Studies in Mediaeval and Early Modern History William A. Christian: Divine Presence in Spain and Western Europe, 1500–1960 Central European University Press Budapest – New York Sales and Information: ceupress@ceu.hu Website: http://www.ceupress-com ISBN 978-615-5225-12-3 Taking Professor Natalie Zemon Davis’s fascinating biographical studies of three Women on the Margins in the seventeenth century as an inspiration, the author of this book offers three portraits of men who were at the very center of governance in thirteenth-century France, men who strove in the shadow of King Louis IX (Saint Louis) to impose a redemptive regime on the realm. Professor Jordan treats them as individuals, but in a sense they are also types: Robert of Sorbon, a churchman; Étienne Boileau, a bourgeois; and Simon de Nesle, an aristocrat. Robert was the founder of the Sorbonne; Boileau was the prévôt or royal administrator of Paris; and Simon was twice co-regent of the kingdom. Thinking about them and their relations with Louis IX opens up a new and altogether sobering vista for exploring the nature of the king’s rule and the impact of his rule on his subjects. About the Author William Chester Jordan is Dayton-Stockton Professor of History and Chairman of the History Department of Princeton University. He was Director of the Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies (1994 to 1999). His most recent book is A Tale of Two Monasteries: Westminster and Saint-Denis in the Thirteenth Century (2009). T he N atalie Z emon D avis A n n ual L ectures 225123 786155 9 ISBN 978-615-5225-12-3 90000 > Me n at t h e Ce n t e r: Re de m p t i v e Gov e r n a nc e u n de r Lou is i x book.indd 1 2012-09-12 15:39:19 The Natalie Zemon Davis Annual Lecture Series at Central European University, Budapest book.indd 2 2012-09-12 15:39:19 ...