Concept
Divine right of kings
Overview
The divine right of kings is a political and religious doctrine of political legitimacy of a monarchy in post-Reformation Western Christianity, culminating in the Age of Absolutism (c. 1610 – c. 1789). It is also known as the divine-right theory of kingship.
The doctrine asserts that a monarch is not accountable to any earthly authority (such as a parliament or the Pope) because their right to rule is derived from divine authority. Thus, the monarch is not subject to the will of the people, of the aristocracy, or of any other estate of the realm. It follows that only divine authority can judge a monarch, and that any attempt to depose, dethrone, resist or restrict their powers runs contrary to God's will and may constitute a sacrilegious act. It does not imply that their power is absolute.
In its full-fledged form, the Divine Right of Kings is associated with Henry VIII of England (and the Acts of Supremacy), James VI and I of Scotland and England, Louis XIV of France, and their successors.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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Still, as Augustine says (De Trin. iii), "bodies are ruled in a certain order; the inferior by the superior; and all of them by the spiritual creature, and the bad spirit by the good spirit." So the first order after the "Dominations" is called that of "Principalities," who rule even over good spirits; then the "Powers," who coerce the evil spirits; even as evil-doers are coerced by earthly powers, as it is written…
Aquinas Thomas, Summa Theologica, Part I
States what Divine right of kings is; the author is tied to Divine right of kings in the knowledge graph.
The reestablishing this ancient order was the object of several statutes enacted in England during the course of the fourteenth century, particularly of what is called the statute of provisors; and of the pragmatic sanction, established in France in the fifteenth century. In order to render the election valid, it was necessary that the sovereign should both consent to it before hand, and afterwards approve of the…
Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
States what Divine right of kings is.
if a King at the Popes admonition, doe not purge his Kingdome of Haeresies, and being excommunicate for the same, doe not give satisfaction within a year, his Subjects are absolved of the bond of their obedience." Where, by Haeresies are understood all opinions which the Church of Rome hath forbidden to be maintained. And by this means, as often as there is any repugnancy between the Politicall designes of the Pope…
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
States what Divine right of kings is.
Philosophers who discussed Divine right of kings
- Francisco Suárez
- Joseph de Maistre
- Jean Bodin
- Carl Schmitt
- Constantin François Chassebœuf, comte de Volney
Related ideas
- Egalitarianism
- Erasmus
- Ritual
- John Adams
- Jesus
- Anglicanism
- Glorious Revolution
- Hindus
- Human rights
- Halakha
- Hierarchy
- Vedas
- John Locke
- John Milton
- John Wycliffe
- Byzantine Empire
- Kingdom of Judah
- Latin
- Middle Ages
- Monarch
- Monarchy
- BBC
- Maimonides
- Messiah
Place in the tradition
Part of Humanism.