Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet’s
Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture[
Politique tirée des propres paroles de l’Écriture sainte] was initially composed as a primer in monarchical politics for the heir to Louis XIV’s throne. With its elaboration later in Bossuet’s life and its posthumous publication, it has been seen as one of the most complete, authoritative, and unflinching statements of the theory of divine-right absolutism in the age of the Sun King – though it must not be mistaken for a description of Louis XIV’s real governing philosophy or administration.
Bossuet composed the first six books of the Politique in the years around 1679, near the end of his tenure as tutor to Monseigneur le Dauphin, Louis de France. The text went largely unnoticed by its intended
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Citation: Coons, James. "Politique tirée des propres paroles de l'Écriture sainte". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 August 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16054, accessed 23 November 2024.]