Compare the Reformed Christian and Early Modern Bodies Politic. Where were they healthy and where were they sick? Be sure to mention Luther, Calvin, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, and give an account of how the movement of religion to the private sphere changed the political forms and institutions of medieval political theory.
Reformed Christianity and Early Modern political theory both placed a great emphasis on the individual. In particular, they both believed that individuals had a right to think and believe as they saw fit, without interference from the state. This emphasis on individual freedom led to different understandings of the body politic.
The Reformed Christian understanding of the body politic was heavily influenced by the teachings of John Calvin. Calvin taught that every individual was responsible for their own salvation, and that the role of the state was to provide a space in which individuals could pursue their own spiritual journeys. This view led to a conception of the body politic as a collection of individuals who were each responsible for their own salvation.
The Early Modern understanding of the body politic was influenced by the work of Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes believed that individuals were naturally selfish and that the state was necessary to keep them in check. This view led to a conception of the body politic as a group of individuals who were held together by a contract or compact.
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