In
Political Theology the "Modern Way": The Case of Jacques Almain (d. 1515), Shaun Retallick provides the first monograph on this late medieval philosopher-theologian and conciliarist, and his thought. He demonstrates that Almain's political theology, of which ecclesiology is a sub-discipline, is strongly impacted by the
Via moderna. At the heart of his political theology is the individual and his or her will. Yet, the individual is rarely viewed in isolation from others; there is a strong emphasis on community and on the religious and secular bodies through which it is realized. But these bodies, including the Church, are understood in collectivist rather than corporatist terms, which tends to a quite radical form of conciliarism.
Shaun Retallick lectures at McGill University, where he earned his Ph.D. (2021). He has published on political theology and ecclesiology, including on Jacques Almain's notion of ecclesiastical self-defence for
Religion and Violence in Western Traditions: Selected Studies (Routledge, 2021).
Acknowledgments
Introduction 1 Setting the Scene
2 Map of the Work
3 Some Methodological Considerations
3.1
Chosen Editions and Translation
3.2
Classification
3.3
Interpretive Issues
Part 1 Foundations 1Biography of Jacques Almain Introduction
1 Life
1.1
Who Was Jacques Almain?
1.2
Almain’s Libellus: (Un)official Faculty Response to Cajetan?
1.3
Post-Libellus Career
2 Works
2.1
Legacy
2.2
Humanist Reception: Critiques
Conclusion
2Almain and the Via Moderna Terminist Logic and Anti-realism Introduction
1 Terminist Logic and Anti-realism
1.1
Signification and Supposition vis-à-vis Anti-realism: Individual Natures and Men 1.1.1 Introduction
1.1.2 Almain’s Usage
1.1.3 Conclusion
2
Syncategoremata, Supposition and Anti-realist Mereology
2.1
Introduction
3 Anti-realist Views on Relations
3.1
Introduction
3.2
Almain’s Usage
3.3
Conclusion
Conclusion
3Almain and the Via Moderna Voluntarism Introduction
1 Theological Voluntarism: Ordained Power
1.1
Introduction
1.2
Almain’s Usage
2 Theological Voluntarism: Absolute Power
2.1
Introduction
2.2
Almain’s Usage
3 Anthropological Voluntarism: the Will and Individual Human Beings
3.1
Introduction
3.2
Almain’s Usage
4 Anthropological Voluntarism: the Will and Social Bodies
Conclusion
Part 2 Almain’s Political Theology 4Key Principles Introduction
1 Almain’s Political Theology: Key Principles
2 To Be a “Body”: the Organic Analogy
3 Political Bodies
4 The One Mystical Body
Conclusion
5The Nature of a Community Legal and Philosophical Perspectives Introduction
1 Ecclesiastical Bodies as Corporations (
Universitates)
2 Political Bodies as Corporations
3 Political Consent
4 The Common Good
5 Ecclesiastical Unity
Conclusion
6The Community as Non-corporate Collective Through the Lens of the Via Moderna Introduction
1 To Be a “Body”: The Organic Analogy – Revisited
2 Scholarly Analyses on Almain’s Political Theology – Re-considered
2.1
The Church and Ecclesiastical Bodies as Non-corporate Collectives 2.1.1 Introduction
2.1.2 The Church and Dominion:
Libellus
2.1.3 The Papal Office and Dominion:
Questio and
Expositio
2.1.4 The Ecumenical Council and Dominion:
Questio
2.1.5 Conclusion
2.2
Political Bodies as Non-corporate Collectives 2.2.1 Introduction
2.2.2 Collectives and Civil Dominion:
Questio and
Libellus
2.2.3 Collectives and Civil Dominion:
Expositio
2.2.4 Collectives and Civil Dominion:
A Decima Quarta
2.2.5 Conclusion
2.3
Political Consent 2.3.1 Introduction
2.3.2 Sources on Consent:
Questio,
Libellus,
Expositio, and
A Decima Quarta
2.3.3 Consenting Agents:
Questio,
Libellus,
Expositio, and
A Decima Quarta
2.3.4 The Nature of Consent: Almain’s
Corpus
2.3.5 Conclusion
2.4
The Common Good 2.4.1 Introduction
2.4.2 The Common Good of the Church:
Questio,
Libellus, and
Expositio
2.4.3 The Common Good of Political Bodies:
Questio,
Libellus,
Expositio, and
A Decima Quarta
2.4.4 Conclusion
2.5
Ecclesiastical Unity 2.5.1 Introduction
2.5.2 Unity and Almain’s Priorities
2.5.3 Unity in Political Theology Works:
Questio,
Libellus, and
Expositio
2.5.4 Unity in
In Tertium
2.5.5 Unity in
A Decima Quarta
2.5.6 Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
Appendix ATimeline of Almain’s Life and Other Key Events
Appendix BExcursus on Almain’s Date of Birth
Appendix CPrecis of Almain’s Works
Appendix DEditions and Printings of Almain’s Works
Appendix ETotal Printings and Re-printings/Later Editions (16–18th Centuries)
Appendix FStudents Almain Directed in the Faculty of Arts
Appendix GSelect Poetry and Correspondence about Almain
Bibliography
Index
Those interested in medieval and early modern Christian political theologies and ecclesiologies, especially the impact of the Via moderna thereon, as well as the thought of Jacques Almain, in particular. Keywords: Via moderna, anti-realism, nominalism, terminist logic, voluntarism, ecclesiology, conciliarism, papalism, corporation theory, political consent, common good, ecclesiastical unity.