Abstract:
The treatise De regia potestate et papali by John of Paris is considered the most influential work on political theory written during the conflict between Philip the Fair and pope Boniface VIII. This importance stands out against John's earlier silence on political matters, when he taught philosophy and theology at the University of Paris. Why did John of Paris shift his focus to political philosophy? According to established opinion, the treatise was written in 1303 and was aimed to refute the papalist position of Gilles of Rome and the bull Unam Sanctam. This article, however, shows that John was the first theologian to intervene in the conflict and that, in turn, Gilles of Rome and the pope responded to the claims of the royal party. The first draft, written before April 1302, was used by Pierre Flote at the first National Assembly in Paris in order to buttress the royal claim to sovereignty. As a reward, John obtained the long-awaited chair of theology at the University of Paris in 1304
