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Comment
Lynda Gould
From
the Director
David Porter
Christian
Citizenship and Northern Ireland
Drew Gibson
Church
and State in Conflict - Ambrose
Alwyn Thomson
Christian
Citizenship in the Republic of Ireland
Patrick Mitchel
Church
and State in Conflict - Hubmaier
Alwyn Thomson
Beautiful
Ministry
Graham Cheesman
The
Cost of Citizenship
William Storrar (Scotland)
Early
Days in the National Assembly for Wales
Aled Edwards
Church
and State in Conflict - Kasemann
Alwyn Thomson
A
Light to Enlighten the Nations
J A Sider (USA)
Church
and State in Conflict - Summary
Alwyn Thomson
CHURCH
AND STATE
From the eariest days of the Christian community relationships between
church and state have been complex. The difficulty of Christians living
as citizens of the Roman Empire and of the Kingdom of God is reflected
in the paradoxical positions of Rom
13:1–7 and Rev
13. The former affirms political authority as a God-given instrument
for the maintenance of social order while Revelation invites Christians
to resist through suffering the idolatrous power of the Empire.
Throughout Church history this dilemma has produced various attitudes and doctrinal positions about the nature of the state and a Christian’s relationship to it. These include the Roman Catholic view that the state is a commendable expression of humanity’s social nature, the Lutheran perspective with its suspicion of potitical power and Calvinism’s vision of social transformation. Whatever the view of the state most theological traditions agree that Christians have a responsibility to influence the structures and values of society for the sake of justice, peace and a humane social environment. This conviction is informed by the biblical perspective that humanity is created in God’s image and is the focus of God’s love. It is reinforced by Christian ethics, which emphasise the common life that human beings share under God and our responsibility for one another in society.
Consequently Christians are to be good citizens with all that that implies for our engagement in the political and social structures of society and in care for our neighbours. Negotiating our way through the maze of social concerns in the modern world and living as citizens in the changing political landscape of Northern Ireland is, in its own way, a challenge to faithful living as great as that faced by the early Church. I trust this issue of Lion and Lamb will help you on the journey.
Derek Poole - Editor
ECONI WELCOMES the submission of unsolicited articles, but does not guarantee publication, and manuscripts cannot be returned. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECONI. Permission to reprint any original article in Lion & Lamb should be sought from the Editor.
Editor
Derek Poole
Asst Editor Ruth Hutchinson
Design Colin Maguire
Cover Spring Graphics
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