Medieval Catholic Political Philosophy

Medieval Catholic political philosophy was born in an age of crisis, with the collapse the Roman Empire, and the ensuing vacuum created in the wake of its demise. The goal of Medieval Catholic Political Philosophy: A History of Catholic Political Philosophy: Volume I is to show the alternatives for restoration of a genuine political philosophy inspired by Catholic thought that could revive notions of citizenship, of nationhood, and of a fruitful relationship between Church and state. Beginning with Augustine and culminating in the thought of Marsilius of Padua, one sees the evolution of a plurality of answers to these fundamental political questions. Confronting this history is valuable in its own right, but also because it sets a course for Catholic political reflection during the modern period, and throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Author Biography

Michael J. Sweeney is Professor of Philosophy at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. His books, essays, and articles are principally in the areas of medieval Christian and Islamic philosophy and political philosophy.

Timothy Sean Quinn holds the rank of Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio. Recent publications include essays, books, and translations of Heidegger, Salomon Maimon, Kant, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Nietzsche and Fides et Ratio.