Why was Bishop Jacques Bossuet important?
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, (born Sept. 25, 1627, Dijon, Fr. —died April 12, 1704, Paris), bishop who was the most eloquent and influential spokesman for the rights of the French church against papal authority. He is now chiefly remembered for his literary works, including funeral panegyrics for great personages.
What was the most important contribution made by Bishop Jacques Bossuet?
Three of Bossuet’s most important works were composed primarily for the instruction of the Dauphin: Traité de la connaissance de Dieu et de soi-même (1677), Politique tirée de l’Écriture Sainte (1679), and the Discours sur l’histoire universelle (1681).
What are the essential characteristics of royalty according to Bishop Bossuet?
Royal authority has four essential characteristics or qualities. First of all, royal authority is sacred; second, it is paternal; third, it is absolute; and fourth, it is subject to reason.
When did Bossuet write political treatise?
Jacques Benigne Bossuet’s “Treatise on Politics, Based on the Very Words of Holy Writ” (1678)
What was Bossuet philosophy?
Court preacher to Louis XIV of France, Bossuet was a strong advocate of political absolutism and the divine right of kings. He argued that government was divinely ordained and that kings received sovereign power from God. He was also an important courtier and politician.
On what basis does Bossuet justify absolutism?
The bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704), one of the principal French theorists of divine right, asserted that the king’s person and authority were sacred; that his power was modeled on that of a father’s and was absolute, deriving from God; and that he was governed by reason (i.e., custom and precedent).
How does Bossuet balance the power of the monarchy with its responsibilities?
Bossuet used Scripture to justify royal authority without checks and balances, claiming that God has placed kings on their throne and it is the responsibility of the people to obey divinely appointed authorities without question. Rebellion against the king is rebellion against God.
How did Bossuet earn his reputation as a great theologian?
Bossuet quickly gained a reputation as a great preacher, and by 1660 he was preaching regularly before the court in the Chapel Royal. In 1662, he preached his famous sermon “On the Duties of Kings” to Louis XIV at the Louvre.
What did Bossuet assert in his declaration of four articles?
…in Paris and adopted the Four Gallican Articles, which had been drafted by Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, a French bishop and historian. These asserted that (1) in temporal matters rulers are independent of the authority of the church, (2) in spiritual matters the authority of the pope is subject to the authority…
Which type of government would bishop Bossuet have approved?
Political theorists, like Bossuet and Hobbes, argued that absolutism was the best form of government. For Bossuet, this was because the power to keep the peace was handed down in trust from God to the king.