J
JRKH
Guest
Well I am sure we can find enough blame to go around.
As for why the Church was so intertwined with politics. That is as complicated as the 1000 or so years between the “legalization” of Chritianity and the reformation.
I am no historical guru but basically it boils down to this. When the Western Roman Empire collapsed and was overrun by “Barbarians” much of the stable civil authority and culture and learning were lost. The Church stepped in and assumed many duties that would otherwise have been handled “secularly” so to speak.
This had the double edged effect over time of making the Church indispensible as a governing body and aided in the “Christianization” of the west to the point where virtually everyone was, at least nominally, Christian. While I don’t know for sure, I am fairly certain that this building of a Church based government was probably seen by many as a natural “Building up of the Kingdom of God”.
Such power had, as we all know, both good and bad aspects. To the good, it allowed the Church to preach the Gospel throughout much of the world. The Church, through the “dark ages” preserved much learning in her monastaries etc. and eventually built the educational systems that are still the model today. To the bad, it had the effect of exposing the Church into too much “worldiness”. Too much power became invested in too few people and, as people are sinners, many sins were committed.
This is, of course, a grossly oversimplified summary but I hope it gives at least a hint of how the Church came to be so politically intertwined by the 1500’s.
Peace
James