The Immortal Commonwealth: Covenant, Community, and Political Resistance in Early Reformed Thought

The Immortal Commonwealth explores how Reformed theologians and lawyers used traditional theological concepts of covenant and community for radical political ends in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, in response to the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 23 June 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In the midst of a fervent religious strife that engulfed the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, theological and political concepts intertwined in remarkable ways. Fueled by the gruesome slaughter of French Protestants in the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre, Reformed theologians and legal scholars embarked on a quest to articulate arguments for political resistance. These theological assertions were firmly rooted in distinctively religious notions of covenant, community, and popular sovereignty. While other works of historical scholarship have delved into the political and legal underpinnings of this strain of early modern resistance literature, The Immortal Commonwealth takes a fresh approach by exploring the often overlooked theological origins of these writings. It unveils how Reformed thinkers, including Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and Johannes Althusius, employed traditional theological concepts of covenant and community to achieve remarkably radical political ends.

The late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries witnessed a tumultuous period characterized by intense religious conflict. The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre, in which thousands of French Protestants were brutally slaughtered, served as a catalyst for Reformed theologians and lawyers to advocate for political resistance. These theologians and lawyers drew upon their religious beliefs to justify their stance against religious persecution and oppression.

One of the key theological concepts that underpinned the arguments for political resistance was the concept of covenant. Reformed theologians believed that God had established a covenant with humanity, which was a binding agreement between God and his people. The covenant was seen as a sacred bond that guaranteed the protection and prosperity of the people of God. According to Reformed thinkers, the covenant gave the people the right to resist any government that violated their rights and threatened the stability of the community.

Another theological concept that played a significant role in the arguments for political resistance was the concept of community. Reformed theologians believed that the church was not just a collection of individuals but a living, breathing community of believers who were bound together by their shared faith in Jesus Christ. The church was seen as a source of moral and spiritual guidance and as a protector of the weak and vulnerable. Reformed thinkers argued that the church had a responsibility to defend the rights and interests of its members and to oppose any government that threatened the integrity of the community.

Popular sovereignty was another theological concept that Reformed thinkers used to justify their political resistance. Popular sovereignty was the belief that the people had the right to govern themselves and to determine the laws and policies that governed their lives. Reformed thinkers believed that the government was not a divine institution but a human creation that was accountable to the people. They argued that the people had the right to overthrow any government that was tyrannical or oppressive and to establish a new government that was based on the principles of justice and equality.

Reformed thinkers such as Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and Johannes Althusius were among the most influential proponents of political resistance based on theological concepts. Bullinger, a Swiss Reformer, argued that the church had a responsibility to defend the rights of its members and to oppose any government that violated the principles of the covenant. Calvin, a French Reformer, believed that the government was not a divine institution but a human creation that was accountable to the people. He argued that the people had the right to overthrow any government that was tyrannical or oppressive and to establish a new government that was based on the principles of justice and equality. Beza, a Swiss Reformer, believed that the church had a responsibility to defend the rights of its members and to oppose any government that violated the principles of the covenant and the community. He argued that the church had a role to play in shaping the political and social order and that it should not be afraid to confront the government when necessary. Althusius, a Dutch Reformer, believed that the church had a responsibility to defend the rights of its members and to oppose any government that violated the principles of the covenant, the community, and popular sovereignty. He argued that the church should be actively involved in shaping the political and social order and that it should not be afraid to confront the government when necessary.

The Immortal Commonwealth is a groundbreaking work of historical scholarship that explores the theological sources of early modern resistance literature. It demonstrates how Reformed thinkers used traditional theological concepts of covenant, community, and popular sovereignty to justify their political resistance against religious persecution and oppression. The book provides a fresh perspective on the historical context of these writings and sheds light on the ways in which Reformed thinkers used their religious beliefs to shape the political and social landscape of their time.

In conclusion, the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries witnessed a period of intense religious conflict that was characterized by theological and political convergence. Reformed theologians and lawyers used their religious beliefs to articulate arguments for political resistance, drawing upon concepts such as covenant, community, and popular sovereignty. The Immortal Commonwealth is a valuable work of historical scholarship that explores the theological sources of these writings and sheds light on the ways in which Reformed thinkers used their religious beliefs to shape the political and social landscape of their time.

ISBN-13: 9781108455497