Petrus Ramus Y El Derecho

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Petrus Ramus Y El Derecho Petrus Ramus y el Derecho Rafael Ramis Barceló Petrus Ramus y el Derecho The Figuerola Institute Programme: Legal History The Programme “Legal History” of the Figuerola Institute of Social Science History –a part of the Carlos III University of Madrid– is devoted to improve the overall knowledge on the history of law from different points of view –academically, culturally, socially, and institutionally– covering both ancient and modern eras. A number of experts from several countries have participated in the Programme, bringing in their specialized knowledge and dedication to the subject of their expertise. To give a better visibility of its activities, the Programme has published in its Book Series a number of monographs on the different aspects of its academic discipline. Publisher: Carlos III University of Madrid Book Series: Legal History Editorial Committee: Manuel Ángel Bermejo Castrillo, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Catherine Fillon, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 Manuel Martínez Neira, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Carlos Petit, Universidad de Huelva Cristina Vano, Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II More information at www.uc3m.es/legal_history Petrus Ramus y el Derecho Los juristas ramistas del siglo XVI Rafael Ramis Barceló Historia del derecho, 40 © 2015 Rafael Ramis Barceló Editorial Dykinson c/ Meléndez Valdés, 61 – 28015 Madrid Tlf. (+34) 91 544 28 46 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.dykinson.com Preimpresión: TALLERONCE ISBN: 978-84-9085-683-3 ISSN: 2255-5137 D.L.: M-2486-2016 Versión electrónica disponible en e-Archivo http://hdl.handle.net/10016/22197 Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 España Para Antonio Planas Rosselló ÍNDICE Introducción . 11 Debate historiográfico en torno a Ramus . 17 Derecho y dialéctica en Ramus . 48 El ramismo en el contexto jurídico del siglo XVI . 82 Primera etapa del ramismo jurídico . 112 Segunda etapa del ramismo jurídico . 140 Tercera etapa del ramismo jurídico . 168 El postramismo jurídico . 193 Conclusiones . 213 Elenco de juristas ramistas . 223 Bibliografía . 225 9 INTRODUCCIÓN Pierre de la Ramée, latinizado Petrus Ramus (1515-1572), fue un pensador francés que contribuyó decisivamente a la transición desde el humanismo al racionalismo. Su papel en la historia del derecho ha sido confuso y el princi- pal objetivo de este libro es intentar una clarificación de su obra y la de los juristas que siguieron sus ideas. Quizás valga la pena explicar, antes de entrar en materia, el “contexto de descubrimiento” de este libro, pues los siguientes capítulos son el planteamiento de un problema historiográfico y la respuesta que damos al mismo. Al estudiar la influencia de Ramon Llull en el pensamiento jurídico de la época moderna, observamos que el método de algunos juristas del XVII no dependía solamente del Arte de Llull, sino que lo hacía también de Petrus Ramus. Así como era relativamente fácil aislar las influencias lulianas en los autores del siglo XVI, advertimos que éstas aparecían mezcladas con rasgos aristotélicos y ramistas en obras a partir de la última década de la centuria. Optamos por estudiar aisladamente las corrientes luliana y ramista duran- te el siglo XVI, a fin de establecer una genealogía intelectual de los juristas y de determinar con mayor exactitud el momento en el que ambas se entrecru- zaban. Tras leer buena parte de la literatura histórico-jurídica sobre Ramus y el ramismo intentamos una aproximación en un artículo “Petrus Ramus on Law and Jurisprudence”, publicado finalmente en 2013, en el que seguimos los criterios estandarizados sobre el tema, y en el que llamábamos la atención sobre la influencia de Pierre de la Ramée en la historia de las ideas jurídicas y políticas. Sin embargo, tras algunas lecturas y a raíz de varios epistolarios sosteni- dos a partir de la publicación de este trabajo, nos percatamos de que había algunos extremos que no concordaban y que las conclusiones eran inexactas y, en ocasiones, contradictorias. El tema, por lo tanto, tenía que analizarse de nuevo desde la raíz, estudiando detalladamente todos los escritos tanto de Ramus como de sus seguidores. En particular, cabe indicar los siguientes extremos conflictivos: 11 RAFAEL RAMIS BARCELÓ 1) La reiterada insistencia por parte de la historiografía en que Petrus Ra- mus no tocó temas jurídicos se compadecía muy mal con la cantidad de juris- tas que se vindicaban como seguidores del maestro francés. 2) Muchos de los juristas del siglo XVI eran calificados de “ramistas”, sin que hubiera ningún criterio claro para determinar cuál o cuáles eran los ras- gos que tenían que tener para incluirse en esta categoría. 3) La adscripción al ramismo resultaba, en la historiografía que ha llegado hasta nuestros días, una suerte de cajón de sastre. Se vindicaba la adscripción al ramismo de muchos juristas del siglo XVI (de orientación distinta, perte- necientes a diferentes generaciones y corrientes). Hemos detectado que Thomasius fue el principal crítico de las ideas jurí- dicas de Ramus y sus seguidores. Con él comienzan algunos tópicos que se han asentado hasta nuestros días. Por lo demás, la historiografía decimonó- nica hizo una lectura respetuosa de la obra de Ramus y, siguiendo en parte a Thomasius, adscribió al ramismo a los juristas que cumplían con estos dos rasgos, a saber: a) el uso de tablas, dicotomías y otros recursos visuales en sus obras y b) el análisis del derecho a partir de la teoría de las cuatro causas. Salta a la vista que esta última teoría no procede de Ramus, sino de la tradi- ción aristotélica, y que el uso de los recursos visuales era fruto de la difusión de la imprenta. Ambos rasgos son claramente anteriores a Ramus y tampoco tiene sentido el tópico historiográfico de calificar de ramista a cualquier jurista que hubiese usado dicotomías y recursos visuales, especialmente en la época en la que Ramus aún no había nacido o aún no había publicado ninguna obra. En este libro queremos revisar esos tópicos historiográficos a la luz de la lectura de las obras de Ramus y de los autores pretendidamente ramistas, para ofrecer una nueva visión de la obra de Pierre de la Ramée y de los que denominamos “juristas ramistas”. En particular, este libro contiene las si- guientes bases novedosas, que devienen tesis fuertes de nuestro estudio: 1) Una lectura de la obra de Ramus en la que no sólo se analiza la evolución de sus contribuciones sobre la Dialéctica (que es la base de su pensamiento), sino también los otros textos del autor, donde aparecen diseminados sus jui- cios sobre el derecho. Así, en contra de lo que se había sostenido hasta ahora, se puede afirmar que Ramus llegó a elaborar fragmentariamente un pensa- miento (metodológico y epistemológico) sobre el derecho, que se explica en el libro siguiendo un análisis histórico. 2) La fijación de unos criterios para calificar como “ramista” a un jurista, con lo que se puede revisar toda la historiografía anterior, descartando a mu- 12 PETRUS RAMUS Y EL DERECHO chos juristas que antes se tenían como tales. A los juristas que sólo cumplen con una parte de estos criterios se les califica, como se verá, de filoramistas, semiramistas o postramistas. 3) La elaboración de una periodificación para entender el desarrollo y la influencia del ramismo en los juristas. Sostenemos que la obra de Ramus pue- de clasificarse en tres grandes etapas, en las que su concepción fue virando. Defendemos que las tres etapas de la obra de Ramus se proyectan en la recep- ción que de ellas hicieron las tres generaciones posteriores de juristas imbui- dos de los ideales ramistas. En el primer capítulo se encuentra una breve exposición de la biografía de Ramus y de la historiografía hasta el momento, analizada de forma crítica. El segundo es un estudio diacrónico de la obra del pensador francés, en el que se pone de relieve tanto su dialéctica (como base metodológica) como las referencias al derecho, contenidas en varias obras, fundamentalmente en Ciceronianus y Scholarum Mathematicarum. Al final de este capítulo se con- creta nuestra propuesta metodológica para estudiar tanto a Ramus como a los juristas ramistas. En el tercer capítulo estudiamos el contexto en el que floreció el ramismo entre los juristas (Francia, el Sacro Imperio e Inglaterra). Sus páginas tienen la intención de ayudar a comprender el humus en el que se asentó el ramis- mo, así como también de desmentir algunos tópicos sobre muchos juristas asociados erróneamente con las doctrinas de Ramus. Los capítulos cuarto a sexto están dedicados al estudio de los juristas ra- mistas, en perspectiva generacional. La primera generación (1560-1575), ba- sada en las obras primerizas de Pierre de la Ramée, abarca a juristas franceses que fueron alumnos o que colaboraron con Ramus y concluye con Freigius y la apertura del ramismo a los juristas de Suiza y del Sacro Imperio. La segun- da generación de juristas (1575-1590) es la que siguió más fielmente los dicta- dos metodológicos de Ramus y viene a coincidir con la etapa intermedia de su pensamiento, cuyo paradigma es la Dialectique de 1555. La última generación (1590-1610) es el resultado de la síntesis del ramismo con otras corrientes, de forma que las ideas de Ramus aparecieron cada vez más desdibujadas. El séptimo capítulo es un cuadro de la difusión (cada vez más diluida) del ramismo entre los juristas del siglo XVII, hasta llegar a autores que prescin- dieron de sus nociones y su método. Con ello, nos detenemos en Thomasius, pensador que puede ser considerado un punto de inflexión en la historia del ramismo. 13 RAFAEL RAMIS BARCELÓ En una perspectiva más amplia, este libro, a la vera de los textos de Petrus Ramus, pretende revisar las categorías de la historia del pensamiento jurídico de la segunda mitad del siglo XVI.
Recommended publications
  • Was Shakespeare a Ramist?
    The Oxfordian Volume 22 October 2020 ISSN 1521-3641 The OXFORDIAN The Oxfordian is the peer-reviewed journal of the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship, a non-profit educational organization that conducts research and publication on the Early Modern period, William Shakespeare and the authorship of Shakespeare’s works. Founded in 1998, the journal offers research articles, essays and book reviews by academicians and independent scholars, and is published annually during the autumn. Writers interested in being published in The Oxfordian should review our publication guidelines at the Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship website: https://shakespeareoxfordfellowship.org/the-oxfordian/ Our postal mailing address is: The Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship PO Box 66083 Auburndale, MA 02466 USA Queries may be directed to the editor, Gary Goldstein, at [email protected] Back issues of The Oxfordian may be obtained by writing to: [email protected] 2 The OXFORDIAN Volume 22 2020 Was Shakespeare a Ramist? Reviewed by Michael Dudley The Rational Shakespeare: Peter Ramus, Edward de Vere, and the Question of Authorship. By Michael Wainwright. Palgrave Macmillan 2018 (324 pp.) in hardcover, paperback and Kindle. he question regarding the authorship of the Works of Shakespeare has for generations been dismissed by most of the intelligentsia as patent Tnonsense or a conspiracy theory—in short, as highly irrational—with a correspondingly dim view of its proponents’ intelligence and sanity. It is therefore singularly refreshing and impres- sive that a scholarly work that acknowledges Edward de Vere as Shakespeare should be entirely premised on an exploration of rationalism, not only in terms of the worldview apparent in the Shakespeare canon, but as a structured argument unto itself.
    [Show full text]
  • GREEK and LATIN CLASSICS V Blackwell’S Rare Books 48-51 Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BQ
    Blackwell’s Rare Books Direct Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 333555 Switchboard: +44 (0) 1865 792792 Blackwell’S rare books Email: [email protected] Fax: +44 (0) 1865 794143 www.blackwell.co.uk/rarebooks GREEK AND LATIN CLASSICS V Blackwell’s Rare Books 48-51 Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BQ Direct Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 333555 Switchboard: +44 (0) 1865 792792 Email: [email protected] Fax: +44 (0) 1865 794143 www.blackwell.co.uk/ rarebooks Our premises are in the main Blackwell bookstore at 48-51 Broad Street, one of the largest and best known in the world, housing over 200,000 new book titles, covering every subject, discipline and interest, as well as a large secondhand books department. There is lift access to each floor. The bookstore is in the centre of the city, opposite the Bodleian Library and Sheldonian Theatre, and close to several of the colleges and other university buildings, with on street parking close by. Oxford is at the centre of an excellent road and rail network, close to the London - Birmingham (M40) motorway and is served by a frequent train service from London (Paddington). Hours: Monday–Saturday 9am to 6pm. (Tuesday 9:30am to 6pm.) Purchases: We are always keen to purchase books, whether single works or in quantity, and will be pleased to make arrangements to view them. Auction commissions: We attend a number of auction sales and will be happy to execute commissions on your behalf. Blackwell online bookshop www.blackwell.co.uk Our extensive online catalogue of new books caters for every speciality, with the latest releases and editor’s recommendations.
    [Show full text]
  • Antoine De Chandieu (1534-1591): One of the Fathers Of
    CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ANTOINE DE CHANDIEU (1534-1591): ONE OF THE FATHERS OF REFORMED SCHOLASTICISM? A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY THEODORE GERARD VAN RAALTE GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN MAY 2013 CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 3233 Burton SE • Grand Rapids, Michigan • 49546-4301 800388-6034 fax: 616 957-8621 [email protected] www. calvinseminary. edu. This dissertation entitled ANTOINE DE CHANDIEU (1534-1591): L'UN DES PERES DE LA SCHOLASTIQUE REFORMEE? written by THEODORE GERARD VAN RAALTE and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy has been accepted by the faculty of Calvin Theological Seminary upon the recommendation of the undersigned readers: Richard A. Muller, Ph.D. I Date ~ 4 ,,?tJ/3 Dean of Academic Programs Copyright © 2013 by Theodore G. (Ted) Van Raalte All rights reserved For Christine CONTENTS Preface .................................................................................................................. viii Abstract ................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1 Introduction: Historiography and Scholastic Method Introduction .............................................................................................................1 State of Research on Chandieu ...............................................................................6 Published Research on Chandieu’s Contemporary
    [Show full text]
  • The Proclaimed and Visible Word PETER H
    Word & World 7/2 (1987) Copyright © 1987 by Word & World, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. All rights reserved. page 179 The Proclaimed and Visible Word PETER H. VAN NESS Union Theological Seminary, New York, New York In a recent book, Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah and colleagues report on the current status of American individualism. As has been the case since Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, such reflections reveal an enduring feature of American social life. In Bellah’s words: “The inner tensions of American individualism add up to a classic case of ambivalence. We strongly assert the value of our self-reliance and autonomy. We deeply feel the emptiness of a life without sustaining social commitments.”1 The consequences of the American individualist credo can be loneliness, when autonomy is too greatly valued, or conformism, when a rejection of traditional authority combines with an excessive deference to contemporary peers. David Riesman coined the phrase “the lonely crowd” to describe the American social character which suffers in both of these ways.2 One of Bellah’s remedies for such social ills is the nurturing of a culture of meaning and coherence. “We need to learn again from the cultural riches of the human species and to reappropriate and revitalize those riches so that they can speak to our condition today.”3 Biblical and republican traditions stand foremost in Bellah’s list of cultural legacies in need of revitalization. Many Americans seek relief from contemporary social distress in communities of religious worship. The Christian community at worship seems to be a fitting antidote to the social ills portrayed here.
    [Show full text]
  • Law, Counsel, and Commonwealth: Languages of Power in the Early English Reformation
    Law, Counsel, and Commonwealth: Languages of Power in the Early English Reformation Christine M. Knaack Doctor of Philosophy University of York History April 2015 2 Abstract This thesis examines how power was re-articulated in light of the royal supremacy during the early stages of the English Reformation. It argues that key words and concepts, particularly those involving law, counsel, and commonwealth, formed the basis of political participation during this period. These concepts were invoked with the aim of influencing the king or his ministers, of drawing attention to problems the kingdom faced, or of expressing a political ideal. This thesis demonstrates that these languages of power were present in a wide variety of contexts, appearing not only in official documents such as laws and royal proclamations, but also in manuscript texts, printed books, sermons, complaints, and other texts directed at king and counsellors alike. The prose dialogue and the medium of translation were employed in order to express political concerns. This thesis shows that political languages were available to a much wider range of participants than has been previously acknowledged. Part One focuses on the period c. 1528-36, investigating the role of languages of power during the period encompassing the Reformation Parliament. The legislation passed during this Parliament re-articulated notions of the realm’s social order, creating a body politic that encompassed temporal and spiritual members of the realm alike and positioning the king as the head of that body. Writers and theorists examined legal changes by invoking the commonwealth, describing the social hierarchy as an organic body politic, and using the theme of counsel to acknowledge the king’s imperial authority.
    [Show full text]
  • Front Matter
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-60893-0 - The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy Edited by James Hankins Frontmatter More information THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO RENAISSANCE PHILOSOPHY The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy provides an introduction to a complex period of change in the subject matter and practice of philosophy. The philosophy of the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries is often seen as transitional between the scholastic philosophy of the Middle Ages and modern philosophy, but the essays collected here, by a distinguished international team of contributors, call these assumptions into question, emphasizing both the continuity with scholastic philosophy and the role of Renaissance philosophy in the emergence of modernity. They explore the ways in which the science, religion, and politics of the period reflect and are reflected in its philosophical life, and they emphasize the dynamism and pluralism of a period which saw both new perspectives and enduring contributions to the history of philosophy. This will be an invaluable guide for students of philosophy, intellectual historians, and all who are interested in Renaissance thought. JAMES HANKINS is Professor of History at Harvard University and editor of Renaissance Civic Humanism: Reappraisals and Reflections (2000, 2004). © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-60893-0 - The Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy Edited by James Hankins Frontmatter More information THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO
    [Show full text]
  • Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 M
    Z Zabarella, Jacopo chair of logic, succeeding Tomitano. On 4 January 1569 he secured the second extraordinary chair of Born: 5 September 1533, Padua natural philosophy. There was likely a pause in his Died: 15 October 1589, Padua teaching from 1574 to 1576 on account of the severity of plague in Padua. On 26 March 1577 Marco Sgarbi he acquired the first extraordinary chair of natural Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy philosophy, and in 1578, he published his Opera logica in Venice, thus opening a large debate on the Abstract order and method of knowledge among his con- temporaries – especially with Francesco Jacopo Zabarella (1553–1589) is considered Piccolomini (1520–1604) and Bernardino Petrella one of the most acute and brilliant logicians (1529–1595). In 1580 Zabarella published his of all time. He made an important contribution Tabulae logicae and also founded the Accademia to the interpretation of Aristotle and developed degli Stabili. In 1584, he came under attack in two original ideas especially in the field of logic directions: from Piccolomini in his Universa and epistemology, opening up the pathway of philosophia de moribus, and from Petrella in his early modern science. Logicarum disputationum libri VII. The same year, Zabarella’s reply to Piccolomini was his De doctrina ordine apologia. In the meantime, on Biography 6 September 1585, he became professor of the second ordinary chair of natural philosophy, and He was born in Padua on 5 September 1533, the the following year he published his De naturalis eldest son of Giulio Zabarella. He was well-versed scientiae constitutione.
    [Show full text]
  • Elizabeth I's Commonplace Book
    Duncan 1 Educating a Princess: Elizabeth I’s Commonplace Book by © Moira Duncan A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts Department of English Memorial University of Newfoundland July 2019 St. John’s Newfoundland Duncan 2 Abstract Elizabeth I (1558-1603) received an exceptional humanist education in a time when female learning primarily meant moral and domestic training. Elizabeth’s instruction combined elements of both the privately oriented domestic education of women and the more public rhetorical training reserved primarily for men. Her educational model is most clearly shown in the commonplace book associated with her, which constituted a vital component and indispensable tool in her training. In 1563 a commonplace book, entitled Precationes Priuate, Regiae E[lizabethae]. R[eginae] (STC 7576.7) was published under Elizabeth’s name by the London printer Thomas Purfoot. Aside from Precationes, or private prayers, the composite volume also includes two other works: Sententiae, a collection of sayings, and Regna Quibis Imperat Elizabeta Regina Angliae, a detailed description of the administrative bodies of her realm. Not only are these elements typically found in both male and female commonplace books, but they also reveal her unique princely education shaped by both feminine and masculine rhetorical instruction. The same gendered duality that is present in her commonplace book is also detectable in her speeches. In fact, Elizabeth applied the same compositional techniques associated with her commonplace book in her speeches written for both her subjects and parliament. Duncan 3 Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my supervisor and mentor Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Blair 2007 Organizations of Knowledge for DASH.Pdf
    Organizations of Knowledge The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Blair, Ann. 2007. "Organizations of Knowledge." In Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy, edited by James Hankins, 287-303. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Published Version 10.1017/CCOL052184648X.015 Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:29674918 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA manuscript for: Ann Blair, "Organizations of Knowledge," in Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Philosophy, ed. James Hankins (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007), pp. 287-303. Organizations of Knowledge in the Renaissance The "organization of knowledge" is a large and diffuse topic which can be studied at many different levels, ranging from the way an individual orders his or her understanding of the world privately or in publications, to the ways in which communities or institutions order knowledge, notably in pedagogical curricula and textbooks, professional structures, libraries and library catalogs and other collective projects.1 Although a few modern philosophers have addressed the problem of classifying knowledge, current practices of classification are mostly studied by anthropologists and sociologists.2 Modern cultures and subcultures engage in both explicit and tacit classifications of knowledge, but today any particular organization of knowledge is generally acknowledged to involve a number of arbitrary choices and its success is often measured by pragmatic criteria of effectiveness, such as ease of use and economic efficiency.
    [Show full text]
  • Continental Books
    CONTINENTAL BOOKS Bernard Quaritch Ltd List 016 / ALBERTI IN SPANISH 1. ALBERTI, Leon Battista. El Momo. La moral e muy graciosa historia del Momo; compuesta en Latin por el docto varon Leon Baptista Alberto Florentin. Trasladada en Castellano por Agustín de Almaçan ... Alcalá de Henares, Joan Mey Flandro, 1553. Small folio, ff. [xiv], 71 + one leaf; gothic letter, title printed in red and black within a composite woodcut border of renaissance ornament, printer’s woodcut device in the centre, woodcut initials, headpieces; last leaf (blank except for printer’s device on recto) in deceptive facsimile, wormhole in lower blank margins of three gatherings carefully filled in, one leaf (I1) remargined on three sides with loss of a few letters, some light browning; otherwise a very sound and large copy with some uncut edges, in recent limp vellum wrappers. £3800 First edition in Spanish of Alberti’s Momus (or De principe) translated by Augustín de Almaçan and with an introductory Exposición by the Toledo ascetic writer and scholar Alejo Venegas (1495?–1554?). An indispensable source for Alberti’s political thought and a supremely interesting example of how the comic spirit of the early Renaissance expressed itself in literature, Alberti’s Momus is a political and social satire set in the form of an allegorical/mythological fable. Its mood is that of a light- hearted humanist jeu d’esprit; its humorous and even farcical manner was intended, as Alberti states in his preface, to make readers laugh while at the same time confronting them with serious political and social issues, in particular, with the question of what makes a good ruler.
    [Show full text]
  • “If Luther Will Accept Us with Our Confession …”: the Eucharistic Controversy in Calvin’S Correspondence up to 1546
    “If Luther will accept us with our confession …”: The Eucharistic controversy in Calvin’s correspondence up to 1546 Alasdair Heron (University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany)1 Visiting Professor, Department of Dogmatics and Ethics University of Pretoria Abstract The article explores Calvin's attitude to the Eucharistic controversy between Wittenberg and Zurich in the years up till Luther's death in 1546. The main source is Calvin’s letters from that period, which cast a differentiated light on his aims, hopes and disappointments on the question as well as on his relations to other leading Reformers. Account is also taken of several recent publications, which suggest revision of some long-standing views in Calvin scholarship. 1. INTRODUCTION Early in 1536, at the age of only 26, the young John Calvin published the first edition of his Christianae Religionis Institutio2 and thereby made his first prominent entrance on the public stage of protestant theology – the setting among other things of the Eucharistic controversy between Luther and his followers and the adherents of Zwingli in Switzerland and southern Germany. It is not therefore surprising that already in this early work Calvin took up a 1 Prof Dr Alasdair I C Heron, is Chairperson of Reformed Theology (Lehrstuhl für Reformierte Theologie) at the Institut für Systematische Theologie, Friedrich-Alexander Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. He is a member of the International Advisory Board of HTS Theological Studies and a research associate of Dr Johan Buitendag, Professor in Dogmatics and Christian Ethics, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria. Prof Heron presented this paper as guest professor at the University of Pretoria in 2006.
    [Show full text]
  • Paolo Sarpi, the Absolutist State and the Territoriality of the Adriatic Sea
    Erasmo Castellani Paolo Sarpi, the Absolutist State and the Territoriality of the Adriatic Sea The years between the second half of the sixteenth century and the first few decades of the seventeenth constituted a period of general reconfiguration throughout the Mediterranean. The hegemonic position held by Venice from centuries on the Adriatic Sea, or “the Venetian Gulf”, as it was called, started to be disputed persistently by other powers. The Dominio da mar, the Venetian territories in the Mediterranean – and Venice itself – were not living their best times: Venice was still recovering from the terrible wounds inflicted by the Ottoman Empire in the 1570s, and trying to solve the tragic loss of Cyprus, extremely significant for the Republic not only in terms of resources and men, but also for its political value and reputation. The Turks, who had represented the main threat for the Venetian maritime territories from the end of the fourteenth century, were worn-out too by the intense and truculent decade, and after 1573 (the so-called war of Cyprus), did not engage in seafaring wars with Venice until 1645 with the Cretean wars. The Uskok corsairs, who enjoyed the support of the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, officially to fight the Turks, tormented Venice and its territories on the Dalmatian coast between the 1580s and 1610s, raiding villages, cargos and, in general, making the Adriatic routes less and less secure. The Uskoks, as the Barbary corsairs, represented not only a harmful presence on the sea, but also an economic and political threat for Venice: corsairs activities in fact offered to the Venetian subjects on the 1 Dalmatian coast opportunities to engage in small commercial enterprises without being submitted to the Serenissima’s regulations.
    [Show full text]