Publisher's Synopsis
For centuries, the kings of Christendom exercised extraordinary control over the Church in their realms. They convened synods, appointed bishops, endowed monasteries, and helped themselves to the revenues of ecclesiastical properties-claiming to do so by the authority of God Himself. In this fascinating study of the medieval propaganda of sacred monarchy, Phillip Campbell, author of The Story of Civilization series, traces the rise and fall of theocratic kingship in the Middle Ages