pp 10-14
Summary
The state and all social relationships have God-given structures that are rooted in the creation.
The rule of God is total. There is no area where the kingdom of God does not touch and that includes the State.
Every social relationship has its own God-given structure and it is sovereign in its own sphere. This can be illustrated thus:
The temporal spheres have a sphere-sovereignty. This means that each sphere, eg church, the state, the family, the school and so on, has its authority derived directly form God and not from another sphere or aspect.
The Roman Catholic view is a compromise with the Aristotelian position; the State rules nature and the church grace. All social relations in nature were seen as being parts of the State and the church as the total bond in the realm of grace. The State may participate in the realm of grace by eradicating heresy and paganism. The State is subject to the church.
Such a view was protested against by the Reformers. The Reformers rejected:
➢ An identification of the kingdom of God with the temporal church institution
➢ A dualism of nature and grace
➢ The idea that the fall did not affect ‘nature’
However this was not enough, particularly in the case of Luther, to provide a Christian conception of the State.
Study questions
1. Compare and contrast the idea of sphere-sovereignty with that of subsidiarity.
2. What are the implications for a ‘state-church’ such as the Church of England?
3. What is the relationship between the temporal church institute and the supra-temporal body of Christ? How does his relationship affect Church-State relations?
