Peter Chelčický’s Pacifist Adaptation of Wycliffite Theo-Politics

What is it about?

The Hussite pacifist Peter Chelčický (d. c. 1460) is a figure relatively well-known as a dissident and free-thinker, even considered a precursor of modern anarchist theory. Yet what research typically overlooks, or fails to account for, is one surprising fact: Chelčický’s explicit reliance on the works of the infamous English monarchist, John Wyclif (d. 1384). How can a model of political sacralization be reinterpreted toward a demonization of political power? The purpose of this paper will be to systematically trace Chelčický’s intriguing adaptation of Wyclif’s highly controversial theo-politics based on certain shared intellectual origins which cannot be overlooked. This was all redirected toward a vision not of coercive theocracy, but a rejection of Christian force. Through the reconsideration of the relationship between these medieval thinkers, the article results in a more nuanced analysis of Chelčický as one of the most original dissenters of the period.

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