The Treatise on Heretics, in its full form the Treatise on Heretics: whether they should be persecuted, and how they should be treated according to the opinion and judgment of various authors, both ancient and modern (in Latin: De Haereticis, an sint persequendi et omnino quomodo sit cum eis agendum, doctorum virorum tum veterum, tum recentiorum sententiae), is a theological and patristic treatise written by Sebastian Castellio under the pseudonym Martin Bellie in 1553.
 | |
| Author | Sebastian Castellio |
|---|---|
Publication date | 1553 |
In this treatise, written in reaction to both the execution of Michael Servetus by John Calvin and the Catholic Inquisition, Castellio vehemently criticizes the concept of heresy and opposes the idea that political power should punish heretics. He defends freedom of conscience and religion, including for Jews and Muslims. Although his treatise, like Advice to a desolate France, did not succeed in preventing the French Wars of Religion, it stands as one of the earliest texts advocating for religious tolerance in history.
History
editContext
editCastellio was a Protestant humanist theologian who initially worked in Strasbourg before moving to Geneva to assist John Calvin.[1] Quickly disillusioned by the nascent theocracy, he grew increasingly critical of Calvin.[1][2] This opposition reached its peak with the execution of Michael Servetus, a Protestant theologian deemed heterodox, who was burned alive in Geneva.[1][2][3]
Castellio, who had taken refuge in Basel, embarked on writing against Calvin.[1]
Composition
editThe text is composed of various pieces.[1] It is an anthology gathering opinions from Christian authors opposed to the death penalty or judicial prosecutions for heresy.[1] Most of the sources Castellio used were from patristic authors such as Jerome, John Chrysostom, Lactantius, and Augustine, but he also included contemporary authors like Erasmus, Luther, and, ironically, Calvin and Castellio himself.[1][2][4] Castellio translated the text and published it in French and Latin, and quickly released a German translation as well.[1][2][3] Besides this Swiss context, he seems to have been inspired by issues related to the Anabaptists in Germany, the situation surrounding David Joris,[5] and writings by authors like Sebastian Franck.[6]
The pamphlet had a significant impact in Geneva, prompting Theodore Beza to respond the following year with his own treatise defending the execution of Servetus.[7][8]
Analysis
editTheses Defended
editThe author advocated for consistent religious tolerance and complete impunity for heretics.[1][9][10][11] Castellio's defense extended beyond heterodox Christians to include religious tolerance for Jews and Muslims, whom he referred to as "Turks".[9]
Legacy
editJacopo Aconcio and Baruch Spinoza are believed to have read the treatise and been inspired by it.[10][12] The text is considered one of the earliest defenses of religious tolerance in history.[3] It appears to have had a lasting influence on the history of French Protestantism.[2]
In 1936, Stefan Zweig published A Conscience Against Violence, a biography of Castellio, paying tribute to him.[13] The text is considered one of the most important literary works on religious tolerance.[14]
External links
edit- Treatise on Heretics on Wikisource (French)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bühler, Pierre (2015). "Formes Précoces De L'idée Moderne De Tolérance Religieuse Chez Sébastien Castellion". Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie. 147 (4): 345–358. ISSN 0035-1784. JSTOR 44359090.
- ^ a b c d e Bost, Charles (1914). "Sébastien Castellion Et L'opposition Protestante Contre Calvin". Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie. 2 (10): 301–321. ISSN 0035-1784. JSTOR 44349148.
- ^ a b c Valkhoff, Marius (1960). "Sebastian Castellio and His 'De Haereticis a Civili Magistratu Non Puniendis...libellus'". Acta Classica. 3: 110–119. ISSN 0065-1141. JSTOR 24591089.
- ^ Husser, Anne-Claire (2016-06-16). "Sébastien Castellion vu par Ferdinand Buisson". ThéoRèmes. Penser le religieux (in French) (8). doi:10.4000/theoremes.781. ISSN 1664-0136.
- ^ van Veen, Mirjam (2007). "Contaminated with David Joris's Blasphemies David Joris's Contribution to Castellio's De Haereticis an Sint Persequendi". Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance. 69 (2): 313–326. ISSN 0006-1999. JSTOR 20681109.
- ^ Rieber, Doris (1959). "Sébastien Franck (1499-1542)". Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance. 21 (1): 190–204. ISSN 0006-1999. JSTOR 20674080.
- ^ Panetta, Odile (2022). "Heresy and Authority in the Thought of Théodore de Bèze". Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Réforme. 45 (1): 33–72. doi:10.33137/rr.v45i1.39113. ISSN 0034-429X. JSTOR 27206453.
- ^ Bietenholz, Peter G. (1973). "Limits to Intolerance: The Two Editions of Beza's Epistolae Theologicae, 1573". Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance. 35 (2): 311–313. ISSN 0006-1999. JSTOR 20675073. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ a b White, Robert (1984). "Castellio Against Calvin: The Turk in the Toleration Controversy of the Sixteenth Century". Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance. 46 (3): 573–586. ISSN 0006-1999. JSTOR 20677072.
- ^ a b Giacomelli, Renato (2013). "La Tolleranza Religiosa in Quanto Problema Dell'assolutismo: Il Pensiero Politico Di Jacopo Aconcio". Divus Thomas. 116 (3): 205–230. ISSN 0012-4257. JSTOR 48503101.
- ^ Gomez-Géraud, Marie-Christine; Castellion, Sébastien, eds. (2013). Sébastien Castellion: des Écritures à l'écriture. Bibliothèque de la Renaissance. Paris: Classiques Garnier. ISBN 978-2-8124-0923-3.
- ^ Barilier, Étienne (2000). "Spinoza, Lecteur De Castellion?". Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie. 132 (2): 151–162. ISSN 0035-1784. JSTOR 44358901.
- ^ Fognini, Mireille (2012). "Quand Stefan Zweig stigmatise l'exercice de l'autorité pervertie en tyrannie". Le Coq-héron (in French). 208 (1): 107–114. doi:10.3917/cohe.208.0107. ISSN 0335-7899. Archived from the original on 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
- ^ Tomei, Samuël (2011). "Renaissance et Réforme : l'humanisme de Sébastien Castellion (1515-1563)". Humanisme (in French). 293 (3): 66–71. doi:10.3917/huma.293.0066. ISSN 0018-7364.
Further reading
edit- Mahlmann, Barbara; Schindler, Kilian; Klimek, Sonja; Kohler, Daniela (2024). Sebastian Castellio, De haereticis an sint persequendi (1554) Von Ketzeren (1555) Traicté des heretiques (1557). Synoptische Edition mit Kommentaren zu den Textauszügen. Basel: Schwabe, ISBN 978-3-7965-4359-3 (edition with commentary).