Medieval Political Theory: A report
By: John Kilcullen
Medieval political theory emerged out of the conflict between the
Church and State over the investiture of bishops by the high-ranking
secular powers. Back in the medieval period, the clergy was the only
people that emperors, kings, dukes, and other rulers relied on their
help in the administration of their domains. It was, therefore,
important that, at the highest level, clerics should be not only
able administrators but also sympathetic to the sovereign. To
ensure these rulers took to refusing to recognize an unfavorable
papal choice, and appointing a candidate of their own choice
whom they invested with both spiritual and temporal power.
Core Issues:
The overlapping control of church on politics,
the increasing wealth of the Church without the State’s
intervention;
and Papal supremacy and infallibility on judgements.
Church and Politics
The secular concerns of life respect making provision for the
support of life, the preservation of health, the temporal prosperity
of men, of states, etc. Secular power is that which superintends
and governs the temporal affairs of men, the civil or political
power; and is contradistinguished from spiritual or ecclesiastical
power. Throughout the Middle Ages, the clergy or the church held
immense political power. The Church was sovereign over a
number of territories known as the Papal states, which had its
own militaries. The Pope also exercised the papal deposing
power, which has the authority to declare a monarch heretical
and powerless to rule. One of the notable conflict and coercion is
Between Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip IV. By these political
intervention, the Church expanded beyond spiritual affairs to
temporal power unprecedently.
Wealth
The Catholic Church in Medieval times was extremely wealthy.
Church gained secular power is by controlling the money supply
in many old civilizations, especially during the Middle Ages,
which allowed them to have power over people who weren't
otherwise church members. Monetary donations were given by
many levels of society, most commonly in the form of a tithe, a
tax which normally saw people give roughly 10% of their earnings
to the Church and it was unhindered by the state.
Papal Supremacy
A Papal supremacy is a doctrine of the Catholic Church that the
Pope by the mandate of his office, he represents the Church as
the Vicar of Christ. He administers and lead both of the bishops
and of the whole company of the faithful, he provides the unity
and vision of the Church. The Pope as the supreme pastor that
oversee the affairs, he has full, supreme and universal power
which he can always exercise unhindered, he enjoys by divine
institution, supreme, full, immediate and universal power in the
care of souls. His judgements are also infallible that his
decisions are not subjectable of objections.
Many of the political and social conditions in the society were
instructed by the papacy. Pope Innocent III (1198 – 1216),
claimed that the Pope was the bridge between humankind and
God. He restored the weakened influence of the Church over the
Papal states, and claimed authority over all issues related to sin.
He also got involved in the political conflict between the Holy
Roman Empire and France. Through this sole case of imposing
authority, we can easily understand how influential the Popes
were throughout the Middle Ages.
This doctrine has a role in the relationship between the Church
and State, in matters such as ecclesiastic privileges, the actions
of monarchs and even politics and successions.
The Pope was the head of the hierarchy, and he established
supreme power. Since the Church was so intertwined with the
way the society functioned, the Pope’s influence extended way
beyond his role in the Church.
Conclusion:
The interaction between religion and politics comes hand and hand as they are made to cooperate with
one another. These two organizations have coercive tendencies due to their different logic and nature
which lead to conflicts. However, without any of them the other will not thrive as it both seek
interaction from one another. These two kinds of power were unequal in dignity, the spiritual being
superior. Although they were separate, there was no wall of separation. These realizations initiated by
theories and theorists or philosopher’s creation of their own understanding and perceptions led to an
influential revolution of political thoughts between the Church and the State.
EXAMPLE:
ARTICLE II, SECTION 6., Separation of Church and State shall be
inviolable.
