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Read the following quotation from Catholic bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet at the court of Louis XIV. Rulers then act as the ministers of God and as his lieutenants on earth. It is through them that God exercises his empire. . . . Consequently, as we have seen, the royal throne is not the throne of a man, but the throne of God himself. What best summarizes the bishop’s point of view?A) a French aristocrat

B) a bishop who was not a member of the royal court
C) a member of the British Parliament
D) an absolute monarch from Spain or Russia

User Shep
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet's point of view supports the Divine Right of Kings, justifying the unchallengeable power of monarchs like Louis XIV of France, reflecting a perspective consistent with that of an absolute monarch from Spain or Russia. Option C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The bishop's point of view as presented in the quotation is a clear endorsement of the political doctrine known as the Divine Right of Kings. This doctrine asserts that a monarch's right to rule is derived directly from God rather than being conferred upon the monarch by the church or by the consent of the governed.

Therefore, the best summary of Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet's point of view is that of an absolute monarch from either Spain or Russia, as these were some of the countries where divine right was used to justify the absolute power of the monarchy, similar to the absolute monarchy in France under Louis XIV, the "Sun King". Bishop Bossuet, serving at the court of Louis XIV, would undoubtedly support this form of governance, as his words propagate the idea that the royal throne is an extension of divine authority on earth and that the monarch's power is unchallengeable since it's seen as executed on behalf of God himself.

User Sean Shi
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