Evil Western Heritage Final

Policraticus

Author: John of Salisbury

prince vs tyrant

a prince is also under the laws he creates, he rules for the common good

the ultimate source of a king’s power is God

a king who starts abusing his power becomes a tyrant, however that tyrant is still acting in God’s power

God uses tyrants to promote His will

a true godly man won’t resist God’s punishment

law is a gift from God

“The Great Chain of Being” (hiearchy of being God, angels, humans, animals, plants, minerals, etc)

the head of the “body” of the people is prince, in the human body the head is governed by the soul, so the people are truely governed by God

John suggests that under certain circumstances the Bible argues it is just to remove tyrants

BUT

overall God says removing tyrants is dubious at best, and should only be done without a loss of religion or honor

let David’s actions toward Saul be your example

the more you sin the more likely God is to punish you

SO

tyrants are put in power to either chastise/punish, or spiritually build up Christians

Most effective way to escape Tyrant’sterror = stop sinning + start praying

sins of transgression are the strength of tyrants

Magna Carta

Author: John, King of England

think of Daid, it’s up to God to remove tyrants

in the eyes of of the barons, King John is expanding his power too much, even for a king

He was seen as a failed military leader, etc, but most importantly, began meddling w/ the church

many did not appreciate this and didn’t like king john going over the scope of his power

even the king can’t assert his authority OVER the church

The barrons kind of forced King John to sign this law #GOTTEM

sort of like England’s declaration of independence

This documents applies to all free men of the kingdom

English tradition says that taxes given by kings had to be consensual (people had to be willing to pay them)

taxes were seen as voluntary gifts to the king

even the king’s own officers can’t take food from people w/o immediate payment

land/stuff/private propoerty is not allowed to be taken for “public use” with “just payment”

King/officials can’t just take someone’s wood w/o the owner’s content

the king’s authority is not absolute there are boundaries

used to just be customary limits, but the barrons decdied to put it in writing

idea of a due process (people get public juries, not just judges sent from gov)

make sure that accused have due process, you’re entitled to all of this as an accused person

Summa Contra Gentiles

Author: Thomas Aquinas

- around the time of magna carta -

church leaders trying to reconcile Athens w/ Jerusalem

You can’t figure out everything by reason

two ways to know God

1. Through human reason

2. through God Himself/faith in scriptures

man can’t figure out everything by himself

stoics used reason to figure out - God is real and exists

other things cannot be understood through reason

trinity, incarnation, etc

Although reason is a divine God given gift, it has its limits and we can’t know everything from God

Reminds readers of divide between human and divine intellect/understanding

angels mind is way higher than humans compared to Aristotle verses the most unlearned person ever

two elements to understanding God

reason + faith

can faith/reason contradict one another?

No

Why?

Because it all comes from God

So when a conflict arises between these too, it’s only an imagined one. Because, either your reasoning is faulty or your faith is faulty

On Kingship

Author: Thomas Aquinas

government is natural

so, if it’s natural to live in a government, then it is natural to have a natural form of governing

so, what form is natural/in scriptures

Kingship! (but the good form obvy)

The king should be a shephard seeking the good of his sheep, not his own narrow path

there are rulings by 1 everywhere (one brain, one heart, one God) so… let’s have ONE king

ok, so then what about Tyranny?

Aquinas says: how to prevent tyranny

1. ind should be of good moral standing

2. temper his power (checks and balances/safeguards)

However, if they become a tyrant don’t try to kill them because this is against what the Bible teaches… tyranny is a punishment for sin

the prince/the discourses

Author: Niccolò Machiavelli

the prince: political power

better to be feared than loved, because fear causes men to act when you need them to, verses with love they feel too relaxed

maintain a good public appearance if you can, but if not it lowkey doesn’t really matter, but try not to be hated

have good qualities that you “seem’ to have buy don’t overuse them, change your character and reign as the times require it of you

how to seize and maintain power

old verses new ideas

rush through cruel stuff (get necessary evils out of the way) and then drag out the benefits on self and society

the discourses: religion

Jesus “nice” version of Christianity (turn the other cheek, etc) doesn’t work well for a society because other war like socieites will overthrow them easily

practical elements of his observations

the vital importance of religion

in truth there never was any remarkable lawgiver who did not resort to divine authority (otherwise no one would isten to them)

appeal of divine authority (a trend that’s been around since hammurabi)

republican form of gov = best form of gov

leaders should honor traditions of religion

Address to Christian Nobility

author: martin luther

the first wall:

primarily concerned w/ theology (but also the immoral actions of church)

question = who is the spiritual head of state?

luther’s claim is the church argues that the spiritual special authority = Pope + church officials

this is hypocritical! bcuz only officials can perform certain rituals

all christians are truely of the spiritual estate and one equal

we are all on body (saint paul)

believers will choose to invest authority in church leaders to perform certain functions (baptism,etc)

however, that doesn’t give them real spiritual authority over others

Martin: If need be, all christians could perform stuff like baptism, etc.

the second wall:

the only members of church that can interpret scripture are popes and other officials

they pretend to be masters of the scriptures, therefore it is a wickedly devised fable

AND act contrarily to the scriptures

the third wall:

if the pope is in fact going against all these laws in christianity, then it is our duty as christians to stand up against him and bring these contradictions to him

and if he doesn’t peacefully listen to us, then we must kick him out of the church

On Christian Liberty

Author: Martin Luther

Luther thinks: faith alone saves Christian and good works STEM from faith, but doesn’t save you

A person does not become good saved through good works, but their faith causes them to naturally do good works

the law is not made for a righteous man, no one should need the law/works for a right of salvation

because if you are saved you will start to act more christ like anyway, and christ has wiped the way clean

you don’t have to work your own way into heaven aka christians are free (not free to go out and sin, but free to know they don’t have to work for their own faith)

Canon and Decrees

Author: Council of Trent

this schism (the divide in the church) is a just punishment for all the sins the church committed

the council decrees that the reformers are wrong and anyone who declares to interpret scriptures different then the Catholics and shall be punished!!

aka: have no other interpretation of the bible except what the church tells you

it is furthermore declared that in adults the beginning of that justification must proceed from the predisposing grace of God through Jesus Christ, god reveals Himself to us and then it’s up to us turn to HIM and He will turn to US

it is faith AND works that save us

Luther’s point is it’s the believer who must either agree or reject the offer of salvation

church also says only church officials can perform certain duties

church doubles down on what they believe is just and moral, does not budge.

catholic church’s reformation (but not severe enough to join protestants)