Sacralist minded American
Evangelicals have long hoped for some form of synthesis between Church and
State. While they generally eschew a formal or legal union with an Established
Church, they want the two 'spheres' to work in a symbiotic relationship.
The political leaders should be
members of and thus accountable to the Church.[i]
The Church helps to define key
moral and theological concepts which guide the state and it grants legitimacy
to the state, conceptually, theologically and by implication (in a Sacralist
framework) democratically.
When a political office holder violates
the teachings of the Church, he is disciplined, censured, or
excommunicated....thus losing his political standing and legitimacy.
The Church doesn't micromanage
the affairs of the state or engage in the ebb and flow of political
deliberation, the technicalities and procedural details of jurisprudence, nor
the technocratic aspects of policy.
The Church largely addresses
the state on a macro- or ideological level.
Under the Sacralist paradigm,
the state is to promote law and order, defend the land, and to promote the
official (if formally unconstituted) religion.
The state is to promote and to
protect the Sacral religion.
In Western Christendom this was
the default political order. The Church informed and in many senses regulated
the State. One of the narratives of the Middle Ages concerned this struggle
over the question of the state, its obligations to the Church, and the state's own
self interest.[ii]
This led to substantial conflict.
The Reformation actually marked
in many ways a triumph of the state. [iii]
It was an empowered state meant to be held accountable to the Church, but this
did not always come to pass. In addition the Church in the Reformation and
post-Reformation narrative specifically looked to the state as a means of
protection.
In the East, if I can make a
sweeping generalization, the Church was generally subordinate to the interests
of the state. This is the phenomenon known as Caesaropapism....the king or
emperor is the de facto head of the Church.
It's interesting comparing and
contrasting the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Franco's Spain, or much of
Italian history under the Popes vis-a-vis the Protestant Established Churches.
While the Northern European Protestant tradition generally eschewed Caesar-type
figures (with some exceptions like Cromwell or Adolphus, certainly a Hitler)...these
states have de facto exercised a similar level of control over the Church.
Maybe the difference is they
have not looked to the Church for political support in the same way the
Byzantine Emperors did. This also might have much to do with the tide of
cultural secularism which began in earnest by the late 16th century.
The Wars of Religion and the Reformation itself in many ways opened the door
for the modern world and the secularism that came with it.
Leaders like Franco empowered
the already existing ecclesiastical bureaucracies while the Northern political
tradition looked more to crafting new forms of governmental agency instead of
reforming and revising ecclesiastical bodies in order for them to aid the
government. The technocratic tradition runs deep in Enlightenment Europe,
something with much more shallow roots in traditional Catholic societies.
Regardless of these
differences, all the systems share the same Sacralist root. And all these
tensions and parties enumerated above find some kind of ideological if not
practical similarity to factions within the American Christian Right. In every
case the aims and goals somehow coincide with historical precedent. For example
I think a Santorum government would have (if enabled) approached very closely
to what we saw in Spain under Franco. I'm speaking of the role of the Church in
society, its enforcement and the militarism that usually comes with that type
of social arrangement. I could also argue that someone like Bush saw himself
very much in the role of Oliver Cromwell or Gustavus Adolphus.[iv]
I therefore find it strange
that the Evangelical Church has proven so silent with regard to the current
controversy finishing its course within the Russian legal system.
By now I would assume most have
heard of the female Russian punk band 'Pussy Riot' and the anti-Putin
demonstration they staged within a Moscow cathedral. Escaping arrest at the
time, when the video went viral on the internet, they were charged with
anti-religious hooliganism.
Don't these laws reflect
something of what American Sacralists would hope for? Don't they want laws that
would protect the Church from insult?[v]
The neo-Tsar Vladimir Putin
commented on the case condemning their actions, demanding punishment, but also
arguing for a degree of clemency.
Isn't this the proper Sacral
role for the head of state?
Why aren't American
Evangelicals praising Putin and the Russian system? Since the fall of the
Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church[vi]
has been steadily reforming and returning to its historic relationship with the
Kremlin.
Increasingly the Russian
Orthodox Church is being granted in voice in policy, especially in terms of
shaping the religious narrative and culture for Russian society. Protestantism
is at this point an established Russian sub-cultural tradition and tolerated.
But Jehovah's Witnesses and others have faced considerable difficulties within
the Russian legal system. Many believe the Russian Orthodox Church and
Patriarchate have played no small role in this.
Isn't this what a Sacral Ruler
is supposed to do? Protect the land from foreign influence and foreign heresy?
I would think many American
Evangelicals would have spoken out in support of the Russian state when it
comes to this issue. Why not?
They might argue that they
don't wish to support the Putin dictatorship? Why not?
They have consistently argued
that democracy does not work in a society that has lost its social consensus.
Watchdog/monitoring organizations would be required, perhaps an oligarchical
guardian council to ensure the values of the Republic are maintained in the
light of considerable democratic opposition.
While Putin's motives are certainly
power related...and they're naive if they ever think it's anything different
with any ruler... in the end he's doing what needs to be done in order to
support traditional Russian society. He's supporting the Russian Orthodox
Church and no surprise it is supporting him.
It seems to be a golden moment
for the American Sacralist Enterprise to point to a social and political
example and say...that's how it should be done.
But they don't. Why? Are they
willing to place politics over ideology? Are they willing to be silent even
when their political enemies do what they believe to be right?
So then we must ask what takes
precedent in their worldview? Is it ideology or national and political
allegiance?
I wasn't looking for a headline
on CNN that Tony Perkins or Dobson were publically praising Putin and what is
happening in Russia. But I monitor the commentary sphere and I expected to hear
something.... these commentators certainly don't shy away from commenting on
geo-political issues.
Well he's a dictator they might
say. So? That's never stopped them before. They'll praise African and Latin
American dictators if they're American allies and willing to push the social
agenda of the Christian Right.
Don't they use the same
criteria when commenting on history? When speaking with regard to Calvin's
Geneva or other historical examples, don't they try to navigate the difficult
questions and problems but stick to the principle? Don't they argue that even
though 'some' things weren't right, overall Geneva, Scotland, England, New
England etc..., were on the right track?
I would think they would be
excited to see a modern state in the year 2012 enforcing Christian Sacral
principles.
So does it really come down to
politics? If so, even in a Sacralist framework, they're idolaters and their
placing of politics over truth tells me that in the end they're not concerned
with what is right...their concerned with attaining and wielding power.
[i] The Religious Test is forbidden in Article 6 of the Constitution.
Obviously its presence within the foundational document does not determine
whether the concept is right or wrong.... but it also provides a bit of
commentary regarding the mindset of the Founders in the drafting of the
document. No modern Sacralist-oriented Evangelical would sign on to or endorse
such a clause.
[iii] Which
in terms of political order had been in the process of becoming a modern
nation-state. Previous to this, the medieval 'state' was a kingdom where power
was centered on an aristocracy and its interests. We can speak of it as being a
state because of the governmental function it exercised, but our modern concept
of 'nation' is relatively new. Many problems in the world are due to this
political construct being artificially forced on peoples and regions where
there's really no basis for it. In many parts of Africa, Asia, and even
portions of Europe, the state is but lines on a map with an army to back it up.
There's no cohesion. Sociologically they are still pre-modern clan or tribal
societies with a modern political order being forced upon them.
[iv] Not
that he would know who any of these people are! They would be cartoon
characters to him. But if he was aware of them, he would find comparisons and
emulative descriptions to be complimentary.
[v] I
all but gasped listening to Mohler the other day. He often comments on the fact
that what is illegal does not always coincide with what is actually sin...and
laments this fact. He suggests we should labour to make our laws reflect the
Biblical worldview and that sin...should have social consequence and result in
punishment. He often talks about how many sins can't be dealt with in legislative
terms. You can't criminalize coveting for example. He's right and in fact I
would take that principle much further, understanding sin as a matter of the
heart.
But what about blasphemy
laws? He surprised me because he said no to this...that the Church shouldn't
regulate speech. Despite the fact this contradicts what he's said elsewhere on
that point I agreed with him. And though he's hardly an advocate of a Two
Kingdom theology, he got that point right even if (I would argue) it is
inconsistent with his general framework. On that point he would definitely
differ with not only the Theonomists but many Evangelicals. I would be
interested to know if it is indeed a mere inconsistency on his part or if it
reflects a principle wherein he views blasphemy as something theological in a
way obscenity isn't...because he would certainly call on the state to enforce
obscenity laws.
Of course I might
ask...so what about if someone incorporates the two? Would you only prosecute
the obscenity? What about in the case of Pussy Riot? What would be their crime?
Criminal Trespass? Disturbing the Peace?...or something more? What if they did
it on a college campus during an assembly or conference? Is that Free Speech or
not?
[vi] Evangelicals
seem to grant Roman Catholicism the status of a legitimate Church. Will they
deny this to the Eastern bodies? If so, on what basis?