Giuristi, teologi, libertas religionis, nel pensiero di Alberico Gentili

The author investigates Alberico Gentili’s thought about the relationship between law, theology and religion as well as the roles and competence of the theologian and the jurist respectively. Many of the Gentili’s works on these issues appeared between 1585 and 1593: De legationibus libri tres (1585), De iure belli Commentationes (1588-89), Commentatio ad legem III. Codicis de professoribus et medicis (1593). An epistolary controversy between Gentili and the puritan theologian John Rainolds over this topic occurred in the years 1593-1594. The correspondence, still preserved manuscript in the Corpus Christi College of Oxford, heralds the final Gentili’s position in the dispute, which will be completely expressed in the De iure belli libri tres (1598) and Book I of Disputationum de nuptiis libri VII (1601). The reading of these works and the manuscript sources allows us to grasp Gentili’s elaboration of a continuous line of thought that, over the years, leads to the full recognition of libertas religionis and, for this reason, to the unlawfulness of moving war religionis causa. Keywords - Alberico Gentili - Law, theology and religion - War and religion - Religious freedom