Machiavelli, Moses, and David: Writing God Out of the Bible and the Launching of Modernity - A Lecture by Timothy Burns

In The Prince, Machiavelli re-writes the biblical accounts of Moses, of David and Goliath, and of God’s providence. The re-writings are a crucial component of his launch of modern political philosophy, which has decisively re-shaped the world that we inhabit. The radical intention of Machiavelli’s re-writings becomes fully intelligible only with a grasp of the original biblical teachings that they are meant to replace: prophetically revealed law, kingship, and Providence. This talk seeks to disclose those original biblical teachings, with particular attention to kingship. Kingship is given to Israel as the last of a series of concession made by God to human weakness. When it is granted, kingship does allow for the rule of four outstanding kings - David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah - but these kings stand out as exceptions to what is eventually condemned as “the way of kings of Israel” (derek malchei Yisrael, 2 Kings 18). Machiavelli seeks to restore “the way of kings,” but on a new, fully atheistic, and explicitly technological basis.

Join us to find the answers to questions such as:

What is the meaning of Machiavelli’s claim, in chapter 6 of The Prince, that Moses, like Cyrus, Romulus, and Theseus, was an “armed prophet”? Does the Bible address this Machiavellian teaching?

How does Machiavelli’s presentation of the story of David and Goliath, in chapter 13 of The Prince, differ from the biblical account in 1 Samuel 17? What do Machiavelli’s changes indicate about the intended meaning of “one’s own arms”?

What is Machiavelli’s teaching concerning God and providence, in chapter 25 of The Prince? How does human artfulness/technology stand with regard to divine providence? What is the biblical teaching concerning technology?

The lecture will be followed by a brief discussion with Ádám Darabos, PhD, researcher at the Axioma Center and the Institute for Religion and Society, Ludovika University of Public Service. His focus areas are Christian democracy, Christian realism, and Reinhold Niebuhr. He is also a political scientist interested in the history of Christian political thought. 

Biography

Timothy W. Burns is Professor of Political Science at Baylor University. For the 2022-23 academic year he was a John and Daria Barry Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton University. His most recent book is Leo Strauss on Democracy, Technology, and Liberal Education. He is also the author of Shakespeare’s Political Wisdom, co-author (with Thomas L. Pangle) of Introduction to Political Philosophy, and editor or co-editor of five volumes of essays. He has published in The American Political Science Review, The Journal of Politics, Interpretation, The Review of Politics, The Review of Metaphysics, Perspectives on Political Science, Polis, Logos, The Political Science Reviewer, Shakespeare Jahrbuch, First Things, Public Discourse, and The Hungarian Conservative. His publications include works on thinkers from Homer to Leo Strauss. He co-edits Palgrave MacMillan’s “Recovering Political Philosophy” series, and he is Editor-in-Chief of Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy. 

Details

Date&Time: July 14, Monday, 2025, 5:30pm
On-site registration: 5:00pm
Venue: Gallery, Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, 1 Csónak Street, 1015 Budapest
(Entrance: Aranybástya Restaurant)
Language: English

Participation is free; however, due to limited seating, pre-registration is required by clicking the button below.