State and Church and the State of the Church [2016] (original) (raw)

The Role of the Church in the Political dynamics of the day

Church - State relations have always been dicey in history especially when the church has become party-political. This paper was meant to make clear that the church by its very nature is political, as long as it remains a voice of the voiceless. However there is a thin line between that role of the church and where the church begins to champion some political party propaganda.

(2017) State and Church

The Oxford Handbook of Nineteenth Century Christian Thought, 2017

Much nineteenth-century political theory was preoccupied with relations between state and Church. This chapter examines some of the leading European theories of Church and state, many of which influenced and reflected broader public debates and institutional developments. In response to the French Revolution and to a series of liberal and democratic reforms various attempts were made to renew the Church by emphasizing its role as the spiritual embodiment of the nation. While in some contexts, such as France, this would provoke a secular reaction and ultimately a separation of Church and state, elsewhere increasing religious pluralization would generate pluralist state forms and corresponding theories of the plural state. The central themes addressed here include: Ultramontanism to liberal Catholicism in France; the Hegelian theory of the state; liberal Anglicanism and the broad church movement; and theories of the plural state from the 1890s to the First World War.

Politics, Church and State in the Post-Trump Era

An appeal for the intelligent engagement of Christians in the political realm following the defeat of Donald Trump in the 2020 American presidential elections. "When the righteous increase [in influence and authority], the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan." (Pro 29:2)

Between Capital and Cathedral: Essays on Church-State Relationships

Journal of Church and State, 2014

Nothing in this world is static. Not even Church 1 and State 2 relationships. As change is ringing in the social, political and ecclesiastical spheres of South Africa, so it is necessary to relook the notion of Church-State relations in this country. Coming from a past where the Church held a dominant position in society-both in the promotion of and in the resistence to the apartheid system-the Church now finds itself in a new context, a constitutional democracy. All of a sudden its voice has to compete with other voices, its power limited to the understanding that it is but one role-player in a society which is trying to find its feet. What does this mean for the identity, place and role of the Christian Church? This collection of essays seeks to address specifically this question. In the first essay, a well-known voice in South Africa regarding Church and State relations, Prof. Peter Storey, outlines the critical distinction that needs to be made between the place and role of the Church and that of the State. Speaking from his experience of a past where the lines were blurred all too often, Storey urges the Church to remain faithful to its roots, namely its devotion to God, while playing a critical prophetic role in society. The Church needs to find its own identity and should not succumb to the temptation of becoming an instrument of the State by being entertained in the halls of Caesar. Another real attraction that should be resisted is the idea that the State could serve as an instrument of the Church. On this point, Prof. Rieger speaks from the perspective of the United States of America, which is largely seen as a nation which functions under a Christian democracy. Although the USA may deny this notion, Rieger clearly outlines the influence the Church has on the State, warning that the Church's close proximity to the State leads it down a path where the legitimacy of its prophetic voice is called into question. Is it easier for a Christian to live in a Christian State than to live in a non-Christian State? Rieger concludes that it is not. A Christian State is not ideal for a diverse community which shares many cultures, religions and belief systems. When the Church is situated too close to the State and the State is caught up in controversy, it becomes all too easy to demonise the Christian religion, thinking that the State is a true representation of that which the Church stands for. 1 Throughout this work, "Church" refers to the universal Church, while "church/es" refers to local worshipping communities or denominations. 2 Throughout this work, "State" refers to powers of governance, while "state" refers to the noun which depicts the subject of discussion's particular condition.