CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Pjecha, Martin |
|---|---|
| Title | Theo-Politics of the Hussite Movement: from Reform to Revolution |
| Summary | This work represents an intellectual history of the first decade of the popular Hussite reform movement in early 15th century Bohemia. The goal of the work is to explain the process of theo-political radicalization, and eventually popular activism and revolutionary violence, by exploring the central discourses and symbols which were adapted and deployed by the movement’s leaders during this time. This is achieved by thoroughly situating Hussite radicalism within an intellectual background which is more diverse and nuanced than usually appreciated by historiography. The topics of Hussite religious and political thought have long been central in modern research, but the durability of some anachronistic assumptions and canonical narratives have still precluded certain important questions and comprehensive approaches. To challenge these limitations, this monograph broadens the discussion diachronically and re-centers it on under-appreciated discourses and thinkers. The work identifies Christian Platonism as an underlying intellectual tradition which provided the basis for a thorough Hussite political theology, an optimistic vision of theo-political and cosmic order, which human-divine cooperation could achieve in the world. In agreement with certain mystical convictions, Hussite leaders began to develop a highly individualist and activist identity which gave significant relevance to personal initiative. This allowed each believer to participate in a fantastic process of personal and collective rehabilitation from their current condition of corruption. I argue that, even in the context of more restrictive or traditionalist intellectual trends, the basic humanist confidence gradually had a subversive, mobilizing, and radicalizing effect on Hussite believers. In addition, I claim that their recourse to unorthodox and even revolutionary methods should be understood largely in continuity with the theology of Christian election and reform. |
| Supervisor | Riedl, Matthias |
| Department | History PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/pjecha_martin.pdf |
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