Two Christian models of Church-State Relationship: The Lutheran Church of Norway and the Orthodox Church of Romania1

Marius-Costel OBLU

Abstract

The research attempts to study and analyze the relationship between the Church and the State in two different Christians traditions in two different countries viz., the Lutheran Church in Norway and the Orthodox Church in Romania. The study tries to understand and analyze the different strands of developments and changes that had taken place with regard to the relationship between Church and State in the above two States. In this regard legislative texts and Churches' documents which deal with this particular issue will be referred to. The study consists of three chapters. The first chapter offers a brief overview of different models of relationship between the Church and the State with emphasis on two models: the Byzantine symphony and the Lutheran model according to Martin Luther's teaching about the 'two kingdoms' or 'two governments' developed in his work "Temporal Authority: to What Extent It should be Obeyed". The concept of symphony promoted by Emperor Justinian which many contemporary theologians and scholars described as the Byzantine symphony can be considered as the appropriate model for ChurchState relation in Orthodoxy. We also find that Luther influenced by the dichotomy made by St Augustine argued for the institutional separation of the Church from the State, while cooperating with one another. The next two chapters deal with the relationship between the Church and the State in Norway and Romania. Therefore, the second chapter analyzes the key issues viz., the 'State Church of Norway and the 'Folk Church' of Norway. After the Constitution of 2012 the Church in Norway gained more autonomy, though it is still part of the State administration on the regional (diocese) and national level and cannot be totally separated from the State. The third chapter deals with the relationship between the Orthodox Church and the Romanian State with the beginning of the modern State of Romania. The first period is characterized by Romania as a Kingdom. During that period the relationship between the Church and the State was very strong which proved that the Byzantine tradition of symphony was still preserved. The relationship between the Church and the State during the communist regime and after the collapse of Communism is also analyzed. During this period the Orthodox Church under social and political changes could not maintain the Byzantine legacy and the Church was subordinated to the State. After the collapse of Communism in 1989 the Romanian State in dealing with the different religious denominations followed a policy of cooperation and partnership based on mutual respect and religious freedom. The conclusion that is arrived at in the end after the analysis of the two models of Church-State relationship in Norway and Romania is that institutional separation and mutual cooperation offers the best model of relationship between the Church and the State. This will enable both the State and the Church to avoid interfering in each others affairs while at the same time provides space to collaborate together for the common good.

This paper was presented as a master's thesis for the degree of a Master of Advanced Studies in Ecumenical Studies at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.