ABSTRACT
This chapter, covering the final portion of Louis’ reign, will investigate how critical role prophecy played in the struggles for power that defined the 830s. Beginning with the statements made by Jonas of Orleans, writing for a reform council meeting in Paris in 829, we can see the bishops define episcopal and royal spheres of authority, with themselves as prophets called to correct rulers. This posturing of bishops as biblical prophets informed the individuals on all sides of the civil wars as royal authority was supported and contested. Simultaneously, competition continued across various literary genres among those positioning themselves as those with revelatory insight others lacked. Claims to know God’s will and speak on His behalf informed and authorized the opposition to Louis as well as his defenders, as the debates surrounding royal authority continued in various forms alongside violent uprisings. Ultimately, while Carolingian imperial authority declined in the second half of Louis’ reign, the widely accessible prophetic rhetoric that had been cultivated came to dominate Frankish political discourse and defined Louis’ immediate legacy as a ruler.
