The Church and the State A Critical Reading of John Locke’s Theologico Political Thought

This paper examines the clear cut separation and distinction of the role and business of the church and the state. Social disorder, wars and conflicts of diverse natures have always resulted from the inefficient link between the church and the state. My focus in this paper is to justify that, without the establishment of a real boundary between the church and the state, there can be no certain end to the controversies that will be always arising. This principle of separation is geared toward the secularization of politics, as a means of putting the different sectors of the society in their right positions, by emphasizing on the fact that, the affairs of heaven do not have any business with those of the earth and restricting the temptation of power abuse by either the church or the state or both. I emphatically portray that, the church must be separated from the state exactly and absolutely because it is considered as the first method to resolve the different problems related to the misuse of power that usually occur within the society. I further admit that, the church is mainly concerned about the interests of men's souls which involve exercising purity, God worship, living a holy and decent life, aimed at acquiring the salvation of individual souls. Finally, I conclude that, the aspiration of the state is outward, external or public and centered on the commonwealth, geared toward the procuring, preserving and advancing of civil interests which include life, liberty, indolence of the body, and the possession of outward things, such as money, land, houses, furniture. Nde Paul Ade "The Church and the State: A Critical Reading of John Locke's Theologico-Political Thought" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-1 , December 2020, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd38332.pdf Paper URL : https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/philosophy/38332/the-church-and-the-state-a-critical-reading-of-john-locke's-theologicopolitical-thought/nde-paul-ade