The Reformation was a period of change in which there was a distinct break between the medieval tradition and the Early Modern Period. Divine Right to Rule, the doctrine that states monarchs derive their right to rule from and are only answerable to God, became a central point in Early Modern political theories, such as in The Six Bookes of the Commonwealth by Jean Bodin. Sovereignty was described in absolutist terms that stressed obedience to the ruler and denied resistance under any circumstances. The cultural phenomenon of obedience and non-resistance largely emerged through the doctrines of Reformation writers such as Martin Luther and William Tyndale. This thesis attempts to trace the intellectual origins of the Divine Right theory from the medieval antipapal polemics to Bodin¡¦s concrete definition of sovereignty.
This thesis uses a cultural studies approach to trace the ideas which eventually led to the emergence of the Divine Right theory. It finds similarities in the historical circumstance, which influenced the production of each, individual work, and finds similarities between the texts of different historical periods. It also explores the influence each text had on its contemporaries and on later generations.
To start, Bodin¡¦s The Six Bookes of the Common-Weale will be examined to determine the definition of absolutism defined by divine right as seen by sixteenth century intellectuals. It is important to note that Bodin did not always support royal absolutism, but like many other political thinkers, the chaos of the French Civil Wars led him to the conclusion that only a strong king has the ability to unify a country. Bodin¡¦s Six Bookes set out to clearly define the meaning of sovereignty and the obligations of the sovereign. He determined a sovereign has to have supreme, unshared power that is not limited by any subject. Moreover, a sovereign ruler recognizes no higher authority, save God. Therefore, Bodin justifies royal absolutism through Divine Right. This becomes clear through his stance on resistance¡Xactive resistance, rebellion and tyrannicide are forbidden under all circumstances.
The ideas highlighted in Six Bookes will be compared with the philosophy presented by Marsilius of Padua in Defensor Pacis. It may seem strange to compare thought of Marsilius against that of Bodin, for Marsilius actually had a profound dislike of absolutism (Copleston 310), however Marsilius¡¦ doctrine plays a crucial role in the foundations of divine right. Appalled by papal interference into secular affairs, Marsilius created an antipapal polemic, which attempts to destroy the papacy¡¦s claims on temporal power and places the state above the church in earthly affairs.
Both the medieval and modern standpoints will then be compared with the ideas of Reformers. Like Marsilius, both Luther and William Tyndale begin their respective works with antipapal rhetoric. Luther¡¦s An Appeal to the Ruling Class of German Nationality as to the Amelioration of the State of Christendom (1520) attacks the ¡§three walls¡¨ he felt protected the pope¡¦s erroneous actions. In Secular Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed, Luther agrees with Marsilius¡¦ opinion that the pope had no coercive power or jurisdiction in earthly affairs, and identifies the king as God¡¦s representative on earth. Thus a good Christian has the duty to obey the king and not resist his orders. Tyndale¡¦s The Obedience of a Christian Man further developed Luther¡¦s political theory, in particular with the idea of obedience. Tyndale emphasizes the divine right to rule and that usurping a sovereign ruler is equivalent to usurping the will of God. In his eyes, disobedience breeds disobedience and the result of rebellion is chaos. While still based on theology, the political thinking of both Luther and Tyndale act as a bridge between merely attacks against the pope and the sophisticated political philosophies justified by history and civil law.
In conclusion, Reformation writers were immeasurably useful in providing intellectual support for secular claims for supremacy, obedience and non-resistance, particularly in the ecclesiastical split between Henry VIII and Rome. The Reformation doctrine of obedience developed from the antipapal polemics of the medieval period and become a defining point in Early Modern political tracts. Obedience and non-resistance also enabled the claim of Divine Right to Rule by sixteenth and seventeenth century rulers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0627112-135831 |
| Date | 27 June 2012 |
| Creators | Shannon Alyesha, Howatt |
| Contributors | Rudolphus Teeuwe, Hui-chu Yu, I-chun Wang |
| Publisher | NSYSU |
| Source Sets | NSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0627112-135831 |
| Rights | user_define, Copyright information available at source archive |
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