Strength Without Force: Redefining Perceptions of Power in Early Modern Bosnian-Herzegovinian and European Catholic Culture

Abstract

This article examines the value system of early modern Catholic culture through post-Tridentine pastoral literature produced by the Franciscans of Bosna Srebrena, with particular attention to how it conceptualizes the relationship between strength and weakness. At the centre of this relationship is the redefinition of physical strength and dominance, which are challenged and subordinated to a notion of strength grounded in mental and moral capacities. The analysis shows that, in representations of the ideal individual, aggression and appropriation are displaced by self-control and respect for others’ rights, while, in representations of the ideal social order, the concept of delegated authority is promoted in place of power established by force. These values are linked to shifts in the religious imaginary: images of God as a powerful king and a just judge, and images of saints, align with the value shift described, whereas images of Jesus and Mary provide symbolic support for compassion, endurance, and the protection of the weak. The findings are interpreted within the broader framework of worldview changes in early modern Western European culture.