Church and State Reminders from History
August 13, 2024
On this day, August 13, in 1099 – Raniero is elected as Pope Paschal II, who would become deeply entangled in the Investiture Controversy.
This controversy was a prime example, from nearly a thousand years ago, of entanglement of church and state over questions of temporal and ecclesiastic power.
It was essentially an argument at the top of the food chain among people who wore ostentatious clothes, lived in palaces, drank fine wine, and ordered many people around.
It had very little to do with anything related to discipleship or following Jesus.
It was a pretty good example for what happens when we start fighting for power, prestige, influence, and wealth in the church or in society.
Paschall II was also responsible for taking the church further down the road to militarization.
Raniero started out as a humble monk, probably very devout and committed to a life of humble service. He rose through the ranks, skipping most of the increments and became one of the most powerful men in Western world at odds with other powerful men in that world.
The past is the past; let's just not let it spoil the present by forgetting it.
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The Servetus Matter
Just a reminder of what can happen when there is a theocracy, even if it is led by a respected theologian. The Reformation did not immediately correct the core fallacy of church history since Constantine. It was the intertwining of the powers of church and state and confusion of their roles.
It is not about God being in control or not. Most monotheistic religions believe that God's power is absolute and not subject to our leadership or influence. It is about people of God or even just people who claim to represent God, wielding power over matters of conscience, religion, state, speech, or assembly in such a way that one has the opportunity to oppress, repress, and restrict the other.
