How was it a process within it? I just don't see the vision
You can see this process evolving (messily) over time. Many of the ideas that are thought to derive from The Enlightenment (or at least The Renaissance) and a rejection of Christianity, actually have their roots in the Middle Ages in a specifically Christian context.
One example:
The tract
Defensor pacis (
The Defender of Peace) laid the foundations of modern doctrines of
sovereignty. It was written by
Marsilius of Padua (Italian:
Marsilio da Padova), an Italian medieval scholar. It appeared in 1324 and provoked a storm of
controversy that lasted through the century. The context of the work lies in the political struggle between
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor and
Pope John XXII. The treatise is vehemently
anticlerical. Marsilius' work was censured by
Pope Benedict XII and
Pope Clement VI.
Defensor pacis extends the tradition of
Dante's
De Monarchia separating the secular
State from religious authority. It affirmed the sovereignty of the people and
civil law and sought to greatly limit the power of the
Papacy, which he viewed as the "cause of the trouble which prevails among men" and which he characterized as a "fictitious" power. He proposed the seizure of church property by civil authority and the elimination of
tithes. In his view, the Papacy would retain only an honorary pre-eminence without any authority to interpret the
scriptures or define
dogma.
Defensor pacis - Wikipedia
In
Defensor pacis, Marsilius sought to demonstrate, by arguments from
reason (in
Dictio I of the text) and by argument from
authority (in
Dictio II) the independence of the
Holy Roman Empire from the
Papacy and the emptiness of the prerogatives alleged to have been usurped by the Roman pontiffs. A number of Marsilius's views were declared to be heretical by Pope John XXII in 1327.
[4]
Most of
Defensor pacis is devoted to theology. Relying heavily on Scripture, Marsilius seeks to show that Jesus did not claim to possess any temporal power and that he did not intend his church to exercise any.
[5] On the contrary, Scripture teaches that the church should be thoroughly subordinate to the state in both secular and spiritual matters. All authority in the church lies with the whole body of the faithful, the secular ruler who acts as the people's representative, and general councils called by the secular ruler.
[6] Some of Marsilius's arguments on these themes had a marked influence during the Reformation.
[7]
Today, Marsilius's
Defensor pacis is best remembered not for its theology but for its political philosophy and legal theory. Marsilius agrees with Aristotle that the purpose of government is the rational fulfillment of humans' natural desire for a "sufficient life".
[8] However, he goes beyond Aristotle in embracing a form of republicanism that views the people as the only legitimate source of political authority. Sovereignty lies with the people, and the people should elect, correct, and, if necessary, depose its political leaders.
[7] Democracy, Marsilius argues, is the best form of government because it tends to produce the wisest laws, protects the common benefit, promotes "sufficiency of life", and produces laws that are most likely to be obeyed.
[9]
Marsilius of Padua - Wikipedia
A short philosophy podcast that discusses his ideas and their Christian context if you are interested:
HoP 270 - Render unto Caesar - Marsilius of Padua
