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Gregory the Great's ‘Political Thought’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2002

DAVID HIPSHON
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Abstract

Gregorian scholars have been unable to reconcile widely differing views on Gregory the Great's ‘political thought’. The trend has been to view him as either ambivalent towards secular authority or completely indifferent to it. This article aims to demonstrate that Gregory the Great's conception of an ordered and hierarchic universe not only encompassed both secular and ecclesiastical spheres but also allowed each a positive role in the work of salvation. His ideas, influenced by neo-Platonic thought, differed substantially from those of St Augustine and were vital to the development of an early medieval partnership between secular and ecclesiastical authority.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , July 2002 , pp. 439 - 453
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This paper is a revised extract from my PhD thesis ‘The theology of secular rule: Ambrose and Gregory’, King's College, London 1999. I am deeply indebted to Professor Janet Nelson for her support, encouragement and advice.