Claudius of Turin's Organic Metaphor or the Carolingian Doctrine of Corporations
Suzanne Fonay Wemple
IN 1947, the eminent medievalist, Gerhard B. Ladner, advanced a concise formula for interpretation of Carolingian political thought. Invoking introductory words Bishop Jonas Orleans' De institutione regia: universal church is body Christ, that same Christ its head, and there are in mainly two exalted persons, priestly kingly,' Professor Ladner concluded Carolingians replaced Gelasian concept world with assigned double leadership, sacerdotal royal, to church. Only eleventh century when Gregorians attacked notion royal office formed part once again conceived Christian society as something else than church, could theory evolve state was politic, an organological or corporational selfsufficient community. Although noted metaphor ancient sometimes applied functions by patristic authors, he insisted it can be hardly accident times, before Gregorian era, rule not but church.2 Imperial writers late were credited also Ernst Kantorowicz developing antithesis between separate bodies.' Otto Gierke, similar vein, attributed partisans empire era revival pre-Carolingian teaching, according which sacerdotium regnum represented distinct, independent powers.4 In past forty years thought came under close scholarly scrutiny. It now quite evident no single adequately describe it. Even among proponents argumentum unitatis essential disagreements. Arquilliere Tellenbach posited basic principle Frankish absorption into While
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