Political Theology the “Modern Way”

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

1 Biography 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




2 Almain 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


2.2 Almain’s Usage

2.2.1 “Whole” (Totus) and “All/Every” (Omnis): Parallel Uses


2.2.2 Realist vs. Anti-realist Mereology




2.3 Conclusion




 3 Anti-realist Views on Relations

3.1 Introduction


3.2 Almain’s Usage


3.3 Conclusion




 Conclusion




3 Almain 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

4 Key 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




5 The 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




6 The 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 A Timeline of Almain’s Life and Other Key Events


Appendix B Excursus on Almain’s Date of Birth


Appendix C Precis of Almain’s Works


Appendix D Editions and Printings of Almain’s Works


Appendix E Total Printings and Re-printings/Later Editions (16–18th Centuries)


Appendix F Students Almain Directed in the Faculty of Arts


Appendix G Select Poetry and Correspondence about Almain


Bibliography


Index