The Remains of Power: Meaning and Function of Regalia in Madagascar
It has become commonplace to define sovereignty as an almost divine and transcendent power, a concept which has its roots in the ancient Roman world. Following Foucault’s lead, for example, Giorgio Agamben has argued that the political capture of life represents the original paradigm of the entire h...
| Published in: | Political theology |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
2023
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| In: |
Political theology
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Madagascar
/ Relic veneration
/ Royal family
/ Power
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| RelBib Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion KBN Sub-Saharan Africa KCD Hagiography; saints ZC Politics in general |
| Further subjects: | B
Sovereignty
B chronotope B Regalia B Madagascar B Duality B Representation B Agamben B Kantorowicz B Foucault |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | It has become commonplace to define sovereignty as an almost divine and transcendent power, a concept which has its roots in the ancient Roman world. Following Foucault’s lead, for example, Giorgio Agamben has argued that the political capture of life represents the original paradigm of the entire history of Western civilization. This ontological and Western-centric reading of sovereignty has had an enormous influence on the social and human sciences. Taking its cue from Ernst Kantorowicz’s insights into the ‘duality’ of power, this article problematizes Agamben’s reading by exploring an alternative paradigm, which conceives sovereignty as a ‘chronotopic apparatus’ and ordering ritual. Through an analysis of the meaning and function of royal remains (regalia), effigies and ritual practices in western Madagascar, the essay shows a different understanding of sovereignty and of its symbolism, which can be used to articulate an alternative genealogy of political power. |
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| ISSN: | 1743-1719 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Political theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/1462317X.2022.2105281 |