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Government-sanctioned institutions of religious practice at times reveal a union of church and state and separation with clear dominions for each. It might be most useful, first of all, to think of religions and nations in terms of the history of the Roman Catholic Church. It was the first hugely influential church body that was so intimately linked with civil and state affairs. The first officially legalized religion in the fourth century was Roman Catholicism. In this sense, Roman Catholicism was the state religion.
With the decline of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church also struggled for a broad and solid foothold. Eventually, it gained its ground by having to yield to the East and then focus its energies on Europe and the West. It wasn’t until the 16th century in Germany and England that protests against the supreme and longstanding rule of the Roman papacy began to be fruitful.
This break with Roman Catholicism, initiated by Martin Luther in Germany and King Henry VIII in England, allowed for a government’s alternative religious affiliation and religious direction. What resulted in England was a national church called the Church of England, also known as the Anglican Church. The decidedly Anglican endeavor had the desire to return to the simplicity of apostolic succession. This was the idea that the church ministry is a continuous line of wisdom and guidance that began with Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles.
In the modern context of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, the Church of England saw and sees itself today as a middle way between the two. Today, Anglicanism is the national religion of England. It is tied in various ways to the parliamentary system with some bishops occupying special seats in parliament. This reunion of church and state, of course, is the complement of separation of church and state.
Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY TED FAIRCHILD FOR SOPHIA LEARNING. Please see our Terms of Use.
