PROTESTANTISM AND POLITICAL THINKING. A HISTORICAL REVIEW

Abstract

It is accepted today some influence of the Reformation in the
shaping of secular power as a consequence of the cultural features derived
from its theology. According to one view, its emphasis on individual would
have stimulated a commitment transferred from the spiritual toward the
political sphere, encouraging liberalism and democracy. Others have
connected Lutheran anthropological pessimism with a political reform “from
above” favoring a sort of “devotion toward the state”. Anyhow, Protestantism
has shown a singular ability to manage the tensions between collective and
individual interests; between state and faith. This work presents a review
of the main hypotheses concerning the link between Protestantism and
political thinking.