Empire of Souls : Robert Bellarmine and the Christian Commonwealth

The first full-length study of the impact of Bellarmine's potestas indirecta in early modern Europe, this book follows the reactions to Bellarmine's theory across national and confessional boundaries. It offers a fresh interpretation of some of the most crucial political and theological knots in the history of post-Reformation Europe and challenges our understanding of 'modern' notions of power and authority.