Political Thought in the French Wars of Religion

This book examines the political thought of theologians and jurists in the Holy League during the wars of religion in France, challenging the notion that they were rebellious anarchists. It demonstrates that they were devoted royalists who presented visions of sovereignty that replenished medieval ideas of kingship and priesthood.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 283 pages
Publication date: 23 May 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This book makes a significant contribution to the intellectual history of the Early Modern era by conducting a close, critical analysis of the political treatises and polemical literature produced in France during the sixteenth century. Sophie Nicholls delves into the political thought of the theologians and jurists who were part of the Holy League, as they embarked on a crusade against heresy within the French kingdom during the wars of religion (1562-1629). Contemporary portrayals of the Leaguers often depicted them as rebellious anarchists, harboring dangerously democratic ideas. However, Nicholls reveals that the intellectuals within the movement were devoted royalists, sharing more similarities with their moderate counterparts, the politiques. By meticulously examining the conceptual language of politics during this era, this book showcases how jurists and theologians in the League presented visions of sovereignty that subtly revived medieval notions of kingship and priesthood, while also striving to replace them with a novel synthesis of intellectual tradition and political power.

In the context of a time when the concept of the state was still evolving, analyzing League thought in relation to Jesuit and Second Scholastic sources establishes the Leaguers' position in relation to innovative attempts in European Catholic circles to re-examine the nature of belonging to a political community.

Weight: 416g
Dimension: 150 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108743938