The Сoncept of Power in Medieval Western Theology

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the political and religious foundations of the origin of the phenomenon of power and belongs to the field of research of political theology. The study of the theological foundations of the phenomenon of power was carried out within the framework of a neo-institutional methodological paradigm, taking into account the data of hermeneutic analysis, which is an applied aspect of the work. The phenomenon of power is considered within the framework of a broader aspect - the ontology of the social, as part of the fundamental layer of being. The authors examined the basic ontological concepts of the phenomenon of power within the framework of the theological paradigm. In the political and philosophical theory of the Middle Ages, the concept of «power» was conveyed by four main Latin words: auctoritas, potestas, dominium and imperium, each of which illuminated one of the facets of the phenomenon of power. «Auctoritas» – authority, potestas» – power, «dominium» – possession, «imperium» – command. At the same time, the first two words – auctoritas and potestas – were, of course, key to understanding the essence of the medieval concept of power. This work reveals the specific features and mechanisms by which medieval Western European monarchies interacted with the Catholic Church, preventing open conflicts, mitigating mutual claims and even organizing cooperation between spiritual and secular authorities at the highest political level Various positions are considered on understanding the essence of political power, as well as on the origin of this phenomenon in a historical and theological way; the works of both domestic and foreign experts are studied.