Ecclesiology and Politics

Abstract

The article in question revisits the question: Did Christine de Pizan have a political thought? To
address this, it suggests a significant change of perspective, forcing us to reconsider the author and
her ideas within the paradigm that underpins the ecclesiological origins of politics. At the heart of
the question lies the interplay between ecclesiology and politics, as shaped by history. This interplay
is highlighted as a key factor in understanding the political thought of the late Middle Ages,
particularly in France during the reigns of Charles V and Charles VI. In this framework, political Aristotelianism seems to open up new possibilities for rethinking monarchy and its foundations,
leading us to explore hitherto unexplored areas. Through the lens of the Aristotelian concept of 'the
architectonic' (architektonike), Christine de Pizan conceives of a singular monarchical configuration
in opposition to the ecclesiastical one; however, she still takes the Church as the main point of
reference.