{"product_id":"the-kings-two-bodies-9780691169231","title":"The King's Two Bodies","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally published in 1957, this classic work has guided generations of scholars through the arcane mysteries of medieval political theology. Throughout history, the notion of two bodies has permitted the postmortem continuity of monarch and monarchy, as epitomized by the statement, “The king is dead. Long live the king.” In \u003ci\u003eThe King’s Two Bodies\u003c\/i\u003e, Ernst Kantorowicz traces the historical dilemma posed by the “King’s two bodies”—the body natural and the body politic—back to the Middle Ages.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe king’s natural body has physical attributes, suffers, and dies, as do all humans; however the king’s spiritual body transcends the earth and serves as a symbol of his office as majesty with the divine right to rule. Bringing together liturgical works, images, and polemical material, Kantorowicz demonstrates how early modern Western monarchies gradually began to develop a political theology. Featuring a new introduction and preface, \u003ci\u003eThe King’s Two Bodies\u003c\/i\u003e is a subtle history of how commonwealths developed symbolic means for establishing their sovereignty and, with such means, began to establish early forms of the nation-state.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ernst Kantorowicz","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42955822465142,"sku":"9780691169231","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/1374\/6550\/files\/CoreSourceHub_1b0e9a26-4eb3-46ee-b323-830da1d50246.jpg?v=1767714662","url":"https:\/\/ingramacademic.com\/products\/the-kings-two-bodies-9780691169231","provider":"Ingram Academic \u0026 Professional","version":"1.0","type":"link"}