Pope Innocent III (1160/61–1216): To Root Up and To Plant by John C. Moore (review)

REVIEWS 278 strations of continued interest in Renaissance textiles in the form of modern wallpapers and silks inspired by Renaissance artists’ designs. In Merchants, Princes and Painters, Lisa Monnas ably and logically organizes the vast amount of material covered in her study. Due to the comprehensive nature of the book, the author moves rapidly from one example to the next, which prevents her from providing detailed historical context, but the footnotes and thorough bibliography will assist readers seeking more information. By considering these many examples, Monnas determines trends in the representation of silks, and as a result, the relationship between the luxury fabric and its representation becomes more nuanced. In demonstrating many of the complexities of this fabric and its representation, Merchants, Princes and Painters will be an important resource for scholars of European art, costume, design, history, and economics. LISA BOUTIN, Art History, UCLA John C. Moore, Pope Innocent III (1160/61–1216): To Root Up and To Plant (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press 2009) 328 pp. Pope Innocent III (1160/61-1216): To Root Up and to Plant is a new paperback reprint of John C. Moore’s 2003 work of the same title. Relying heavily on papal letters, sermons, and Innocent’s pre-papal writings, Moore focuses more on the pope than his pontificate. The book is divided into ten chapters; the first nine proceed chronologically and focus on Innocent’s time as pope (only chapter one deals exclusively with his life as Lotario dei Conti). Chapter 10 provides the analytical heart of the work, in which Moore evaluates Innocent’s papacy. Chapters 1 through 9 provide a straightforward narrative of Innocent’s life and pontificate. Chapter 1 details his life as Lotario dei Conti, giving information on his time as a student at Paris and providing background on the (seemingly perennial) problems in Rome and fear of Hohenstaufen dominance. The second chapter looks at Innocent’s first year as pope, and what the pope presented as his goals, namely: keep the Papal States independent and increase papal supervision of clergy. In chapter 3 Moore explores Innocent’s relations with the great princes, especially his attempts to patch up affairs between Philip Augustus and Richard the Lionheart, and his involvement in the fraught marriage of Philip and Ingeborg. In Moore’s view, Innocent was intent on ending the immoral practices of princes because he believed that the unethical marriages of kings had caused Christians to lose the Holy Land. Chapter 4 focuses mainly on Innocent’s relationship with the city of Rome from 1200 to 1203, while chapter 5 discusses the Fourth Crusade from 1203–1204. Chapter 6 continues the chronological narrative, focusing on the years 1204–1207. This chapter, however, is especially concerned with Innocent’s ever-harsher views on Jews and heretics. Chapter 7 (1207–1212) explores the various ways Innocent defended the faith and the papacy, such as the Albigensian Crusade and Innocent ’s involvement in imperial politics. The eighth chapter (1212–1214) focuses on Innocent’s renewed calls for a crusade and his preparation for Lateran IV. Chapter 9 is mainly concerned with Lateran IV and lists the ratified canons, with greater detail about select canons, such as canon 21, which required yearly confession by the laity. REVIEWS 279 Chapter 10 evaluates Innocent’s successes and failures as pontiff. This is the most analytical chapter in the entire book, and Moore presents a variety of interpretations of Innocent. This review of Innocent’s legacy makes the final chapter a great asset for undergraduate students. Moore nicely lays out the major debates concerning Innocent’s papacy. He focuses first on Innocent’s conception of the papal office, arguing that the pope had two largely irreconcilable views: service and dominion. While service emphasized Innocent’s role as pastor, dominion prioritized his role as Vicar of Christ, responsible for the souls of all of Christendom at the Last Judgment. Innocent’s views on dominion then lead Moore into a discussion concerning Innocent’s political aspirations. Moore’s second major debate investigates Innocent’s destructiveness, with the author addressing the accusation that Innocent destroyed the Holy Roman Empire and prevented the German people from unifying...