Prophets, Popes and Princes

Abstract

This chapter examines the way revealed religion reconceived philosophy and politics, so that the modern philosopher king was now seen as someone who combined divine wisdom with political power. According to Christian doctrine, the munus triplex Christi or threefold functions or offices of Christ in his earthly ministry are those of prophet (Christ declares the will of God), priest (by which he makes sacrifice for sin) and king (by which he rules with authority over people). Prophetic, priestly and princely therefore represent the three contending ways the paradox and the promise of the philosopher king was addressed and transformed by piety. The chapter examines the nature of the prophet, and how the Christian prophet soon gave way to the establishment of the Church as Corpus Christi , giving rise to pious princes and the papacy. It then shows how struggles between princes and the papacy, combined with modern critiques of piety, undermined the ambitions of pious modern philosopher kings