Piety and Politics : The Dynamics of Royal Authority in Homeric Greece, Biblical Israel, and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia

by: Launderville, D.

Price: 98,00 EURO

(in stock)

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In Homeric Greece, Biblical Israel, and Old Mesopotamia, the king was said to be installed by divine appointment and was regarded as having a special and privileged relationship with God or the gods. This comparative and thematic study assesses the role of the king as a divine messenger and his use of, and reliance on, piety to legitimate his position and ensure the compliance of his subjects. Based on a variety of texts from each of the three regions, including poetry, philosophy, history and theological works, Launderville examines the rhetoric of royal legitimation. He also looks at what the community expected from the king as the centralising symbol of the community, the chief messenger from the divine world and the dispenser of justice, and he explores the means by which the king's power and privileged position could be kept in check.

Ancient kings who did not honor the gods overlooked an indispensable means for ruling effectively in their communities. In many traditional societies royal authority was regarded as a divine gift bestowed according to the quality of the relationship of the king both to God or the gods and to the people. The tension and the harmony within these human and divine relationships demanded that the king repeatedly strive to integrate the community's piety with his political strategies. This fascinating study explores the relationship between religion and royal authority in three of history's most influential civilizations: Homeric Greece, biblical Israel, and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia. Dale Launderville identifies similar, contrasting, and analogous ways that piety functioned in these distinct cultures to legitimate the rule of particular kings and promote community well-being. Key to this religiopolitical dynamic was the use of royal rhetoric, which necessarily took the form of political theology. By examining a host of ancient texts and drawing on the insights of philosophers, poets, historians, anthropologists, social theorists, and theologians, Launderville shows how kings increased their status the more they demonstrated through their speech and actions that they ruled on behalf of God or the gods. Launderville's work also sheds light on a number of perennial questions about ancient political life. How could the people call the king to account? Did the people forfeit too much of their freedom and initiative by giving obedience to a king who symbolized their unity as a community? How did the religious traditions serve as a check on the king's power and keep alive the voice of the people? This study in comparative political theology elucidates these engaging concerns from multiple perspectives, making "Piety and Politics" of interest to readers in fields ranging from biblical studies and theology to ancient history and political science.

Contents:
Introduction : the traditional pattern for legitimating royal authority in Homeric Greece, biblical Israel, and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia
Poetic truth and the manifestation of the divine source of royal authority
The speech and action of kings : the process of constructing a world with royal power
Centralization of the community in the person of the king
The role of memory and tradition in legitimating royal authority
Communication and discernment of the divine will : an essential task for individual and collective development
Tension versus equilibrium : essential countervailing dynamics within the exercise of royal authority
The vision of the ideal king : ideological illusion or catalyst for authentic praxis and community building
Conclusion : royal authority
a divine gift for the integration of the community

Subjects:
15.51 Antiquity
Babylonia Kings and rulers Religious aspects
Babylonien
Bad König
Divine right of kings
Divine right of kings Cross-cultural studies
Droit divin des rois
Eretz Israel Kings and rulers Religious aspects
Geschichte 800 v. Chr.-700 v. Chr
Gezag
Greece
Greece Kings and rulers Religious aspects
Griechenland
Israel
Israel Kings and rulers Religious aspects
Kings and rulers Religious aspects
Kings and rulers Religious aspects Greece
Kings and rulers Religious aspects Israel
Kings and rulers, Ancient Religious aspects Cross-cultural studies
Koningschap
König
Legitimation
Middle East Babylonia
Oudheid
Religieuze aspecten
Rois et souverains Aspect religieux
Rois et souverains Babylonie Aspect religieux
Rois et souverains Grèce Aspect religieux
Rois et souverains Israël Aspect religieux

xvii, 407 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Piety and Politics : The Dynamics of Royal Authority in Homeric Greece, Biblical Israel, and Old Babylonian Mesopotamia

by: Launderville, D.

• ISBN-13: 9780802839947 / 978-0-8028-3994-7
• ISBN-03: 0802839940 / 0-8028-3994-0
• William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Cambridge, 2003

Price: 98,00 EURO

(in stock)