To Govern Is to Serve: An Essay on Medieval Democracy

To Govern Is to Serve explores how medieval religious orders implemented democratic practices, such as communal deliberation and the election of superiors, which have influenced modern experiences of democracy. It demonstrates how these practices prefigured aspects of modern democracies, emphasizing the history of reciprocal bonds of service and humility that underpin fragile democracies in the twenty-first century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 258 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

To Govern Is to Serve delves into the practices of collective governance within medieval religious orders, where the principles of the Gospels, particularly the notion that the first shall be last and the last shall be first, were transformed into practices of communal deliberation and the election of superiors. Jacques Dalarun contends that these democratic forms have had a significant impact on modern experiences of democracy, particularly the notion of government as service rather than dominance.

In his comprehensive study, Dalarun conducts meticulous textual analysis and historical research into twelfth and thirteenth-century religious movements, ranging from Fontevraud and the Paraclete of Abelard and Heloise to St. Dominic and St. Francis. Through this exploration, he seeks to trace how these experiments prefigured certain aspects of modern democracies, particularly those that allow individuals to find their way forward as part of a collective.

The book is wide-ranging and deeply original, highlighting the history of the reciprocal bonds of service and humility that underpin increasingly fragile democracies in the twenty-first century. Dalarun's insights shed light on the complex interplay between religious institutions and democratic processes, offering valuable lessons for contemporary governance and social organization.

Overall, To Govern Is to Serve is a thought-provoking and insightful contribution to the study of politics, religion, and society, providing a fresh perspective on the enduring legacy of medieval democratic practices.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501767852