The Concept of Foedus in the History of Modern Reformed Protestantism. The Case of the Waldensian Church

The following study aims at introducing the evolution of the concept of foedus within the culture and the history of reformed Protestantism, and at emphasizing the development, over the centuries, of a practical and intellectual attitude among the Calvinists towards the principle of federalism. From the 16th century onward, the whole reformed world - from Switzerland to France, from the United Provinces to England and the Puritan colonies in Northern America - transformed and started using the concept of covenant in a political way. The foundations of the covenant date back to the Bible and the ecclesiological experience of the reformed Churches and communities. This book also aims at showing the theoretical use of the covenant made by some reformed thinkers, with a special focus on the idea of political unity in Europe. Finally, this study specifically aims at showing the evolution of the concept of covenant over the centuries and in the culture of the Waldensian Church and community, as well as its effects on the transformations occurred within their ecclesiastical organization.