Show
What is the idea that monarchs have been sent by God to rule?divine right of kings, in European history, a political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from God and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament.
What is the idea that monarchs are chosen by God to rule their countries and thus are only answerable to God rather than the people?In the era of kings, many monarchs ruled according to a doctrine of "divine right," the idea that God gave them the power and authority to rule over their subjects.
What is the divine right theory?Definition of divine right
: the right of a sovereign to rule as set forth by the theory of government that holds that a monarch receives the right to rule directly from God and not from the people.
How did monarchs use the concept of divine right to support absolute rule?The most common defense of monarchical absolutism, known as “the divine right of kings” theory, asserted that kings derived their authority from God. This view could justify even tyrannical rule as divinely ordained punishment, administered by rulers, for human sinfulness.
|