Introduction to Church
and State in Early Christianity | Hugo Rahner, S.J.
The first edition of this book appeared seventeen years ago when the struggle
between Church and 
state in Nazi Germany was at its height. It then bore
the title: The Liberty of the Western Church, Documents Concerning
Church-State Relations in Early Christianity (Einsiedeln-Cologne:
Benziger, 1943). Since then times have become more tranquil, but only
in a superficial and impermanent way. Thus the question of the relations
between Church and state remains as interesting as ever; it is a continuing
problem in America and Russia and could at any moment reappear in Germany
now that it has again become a world power. This alone would justify a
new edition.
The book remains substantially unchanged in form and fundamental ideas.
It provides the living witness of the early Church to the solution of
the ever-recurring problem touching us as citizens of a state and members
of the Church because all persons, in addition to the complex of influences
affecting their personality and status as citizens, are in the Church
or are called to her. For the Church is the "Kyriaké", the queen
just as Christ is the King. She must, therefore, proclaim to all generations
and to all states the revelation that Christ the Redeemer has brought
to mankind in his power and majesty, And the state is called to listen
to the Church. But both those who make the proclamation and those who
hear it must do so in a way that neither exceeds nor blurs the limits
of the mutual autonomy that God the Creator has set for the state, and
God the Redeemer for the Church. Because citizens of the state and the
members of the Church are the same individuals, the problem of the just
relationship between Church and state remains a difficult and vital question
for all.
Continue reading...
I think there is a typo in your first sentence. Church and Nazi Germany were in conflict SEVENTEEN years ago???? Wasn't that conflict a little bit longer ago???
Posted by: Deacon John M. Bresnahan | Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 08:50 AM
If you noticed Fr. Rahner died almost 40 years ago so obviously that introduction was written a long time ago.
Posted by: skyhawk | Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 10:27 AM
skyhawk--you appear to be right. But I thought that first sentence was a prelude to the Introduction because it was not in quotation marks as is usually used when part of a book is being excerpted.
Posted by: Deacon John M. Bresnahan | Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 03:12 PM