‘God's hangman’: James VI, the divine right of kings, and the Devil
This article considers James VI and I's treatise on the divine right of kings, The Trew Law of Free Monarchies (1598), in relation to his earlier treatise on witchcraft Daemonologie (1597). James's articulation of divine right kingship not only served to refute the arguments of his former...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
[2016]
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| In: |
Reformation & Renaissance review
Year: 2016, Volume: 18, Issue: 2, Pages: 137-154 |
| IxTheo Classification: | KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance KBF British Isles KDE Anglican Church NBH Angelology; demonology SA Church law; state-church law |
| Further subjects: | B
Witchcraft
B I / King James VI B Divine right of kings B stoic ideal B Jesuits B Presbyterians |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | This article considers James VI and I's treatise on the divine right of kings, The Trew Law of Free Monarchies (1598), in relation to his earlier treatise on witchcraft Daemonologie (1597). James's articulation of divine right kingship not only served to refute the arguments of his former tutor, George Buchanan (1506-1582), and the Jesuit, Robert Persons (1546-1610), but also served as a bulwark against the perceived threat of the supernatural to his rule. James incorporated the ideal of a stoic subject previously put forward in his Daemonologie into the Trew Law, offering a doctrine of non-resistance that both Catholic and presbyterian subjects were expected to follow. The ideal stoic subject would remain firmly in command of their passions, enduring the ‘curses’ of tyranny or of witchcraft without actively seeking relief for their circumstances. |
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| ISSN: | 1462-2459 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Reformation & Renaissance review
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/14622459.2016.1191828 |