Calvin revisited: Acknowledgement and challenge re Church and State

Authors

  • P Coertzen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17570/ngtt.2009.v50n3.a24

Keywords:

Church and State, Gregorian reform, History church and state, Moral law, Papal revolution twelfth century, Theocracy

Abstract

This article is in honour of John Calvin on his 500th birthday commemoration. It is about Calvin’s views on the relationship between church and state. The relationship is viewed in the light of the history of the relationship between church and state since the time of Constantine. It is also viewed in the light of canon law developments in the Roman Catholic Church since the time of Pope Gregory VII (1015-1085). These two factors played an important role in the views of Calvin. Most probably it also helps us to understand the question whether Calvin had a theocratic view of the relationship between church and state. It also gives us insight in Calvin’s ecclesiology. A unique contribution of Calvin was the fact that he argued that both the spiritual and worldly kingdom fall under the requirements of the Word of God.

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Published

2009-12-31

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 3&4 (2009)

Section

Articles | Artikels

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