Problema teologico-politico e teologia civile dei Romani in Montesquieu

This paper offers a survey of some major issues in Montesquieu’s works that can properly be called “theologico-political”. The first, which may be considered the main “theologico-political problem” in the Esprit des lois, concerns the political weight of theological doctrines, that is, their potential to be treated as models to conceive sovereignty. Other issues are identified in the Dissertation sur la politique des Romains dans la religion, where Montesquieu also refers to the De Civitate Dei and Varro’s three theologies. While enquiring into the reasons for Montesquieu’s interest in the civil theology of the Romans, this paper aims to offer some useful elements to appreciate the author’s place in a broader study on the history of the concept of “civil theology”.