Benedict XVI and the political theology of John of Salisbury

When has the pope become a proponent of political theology?

He must be aware of the concept, after having served with Johann Baptist Metz on the theological faculty of the University of Münster in the 1960s. However, he always was more notorious for opposing political theologies, such as Latin American liberation theology.

That he does not commonly use the term "political theology" in his speeches and writings makes it only the more noteworthy that he did so this week, when referring to the medieval theologian John of Salisbury:

www.zenit.org/article-27863?l=english

Pope Benedict XVI particularly recommends John of Salisbury's book "Policraticus" (The Man of Government) – a "treatise on philosophy and political theology".

I double checked: the Italian original indeed also has "teologia politica".