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.
The Catholic Church was the most powerful, wealthiest, and best-organized political actor in the Middle Ages. Starting in the eleventh century, the papacy fought for the autonomy of the church, challenging European rulers and then claiming authority over people, territory, and monarchs alike. Anna Grzymała-Busse demonstrates how the church shaped distinct aspects of the European state. Conflicts with the papacy fragmented territorial authority in Europe for centuries to come, propagating urban autonomy and ideas of sovereignty. Thanks to its organizational advantages and human capital, the church also developed the institutional precedents adopted by rulers across Europe—from chanceries and taxation to courts and councils. Church innovations made possible both the rule of law and parliamentary representation.
Bringing to light a wealth of historical evidence about papal conflict, excommunications, and ecclesiastical institutions, Sacred Foundations reveals how the challenge and example of powerful religious authorities gave rise to secular state institutions and galvanized state capacity.
Awards and Recognition
- A Financial Times Best Summer Book
- A Financial Times Best Book of the Year- History
- A Democracy Paradox Absolute Must Read Book About Democracy
- Winner of the Hubert Morken Award, Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association
- Winner of the J David Greenstone Award, Politics and History Section of the American Political Science Association
- Honorable Mention for the Luebbert Best Book Award, Comparative Politics Section of the American Political Science Association
- Honorable Mention for the Robert L Jervis and Paul W Schroeder Best Book Award, International History and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association
"The origins of the modern European state are conventionally traced to the era between 1500 and 1800. Grzymała-Busse makes a convincing case that we should go several centuries back and look at the way that rivalries between the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire and other trends framed the emergence of European states."—Tony Barber, Financial Times
"Carefully crafted."—Choice
"Grzymała-Busse . . . foregrounds the medieval church as the primary actor in the state-building process. Her arguments rest on a masterly synthesis of pertinent secondary literature coupled with innovative statistical representations."—Choice
"[Sacred Foundations] offers a fresh and innovative perspective on the process of state formation in Europe. Even more notably, it places a significant emphasis on the pivotal role of religion in forming the very institutions that continue to shape our world today."—Farah Adeed, Reading Religion
"One of my favorite books. . . . Grzymała-Busse provides a clear argument with details that make the reader want to know more. This is all the more impressive considering the topic is largely unfamiliar to most audiences. It’s a great book for anyone interested in the history behind modern representative democracy."—Justin Kempf, Democracy Paradox
"[A] good analysis of the Medieval church’s role in shaping European states, laws, and parliaments during the medieval and early modern periods."—Angelo Silvestri, Journal of Church and State
"Compelling. . . . As a subtle and persuasive argument that details the medieval roots of the modern state, Grzymała-Busse’s book deserves to be widely read and debated."—Robert A. Yelle, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"Grzymała-Busse pushes back against the war-fighting (or ‘bellicist’) theory of European state formation by showing how mimetic competition between secular and religious authorities offers a better explanation. . . . [C]ompelling."—Erik Jones, Survival
“Fascinating and convincing. Grzymała-Busse advances a set of powerful theses, demonstrating how the medieval Catholic Church played a fundamental role in shaping the institutional foundations of the modern state.”—Carles Boix, author of Democratic Capitalism at the Crossroads: Technological Change and the Future of Politics
“Grzymała-Busse compellingly demonstrates the significant role the medieval church played in creating the European state. Clear, persuasive, and precise, Sacred Foundations is one of the most important contributions to the state-formation literature in recent years.”—Melissa Schwartzberg, New York University
“In this rich and compelling study, Grzymała-Busse shows how the Catholic Church, as both rival and a source of knowledge, fundamentally shaped the formation of European states. A must-read for anyone seeking a new explanation that goes beyond emphasizing war.”—David Stasavage, author of The Decline and Rise of Democracy
