Blood and Religion
The Conscience of Henri IV
Description
Love places these matters in context against the broader background of endemic civil war, contemporary religious culture, and the many responsibilities imposed upon Henri by his royal rank and political role. Blood and Religion concludes with a close analysis of Henri's conversion to Catholicism in July 1593, including the king's crisis of conscience as he struggled to secure his crown and preserve his soul. Love's fresh interpretations of the influence of religion on Henri IV's political and military choices challenge much of modern scholarship on this important French monarch and cast new light on the motivations and worldview of sixteenth-century sovereigns in an age when religion and politics were inseparable.
Reviews
"Blood and Religion offers a strong narrative of Henri's life that will surely appeal to the many Henriphiles in French history." Gayle Brunelle, Department of History, California State University, Fullerton "Love situates his interpretation very effectively within the existing body of scholarship. Blood and Religion is an extremely well written narrative based on a remarkable and impressive base of archival scholarship". Henry Hellet, Department of History, University of Manitoba