Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

26 —

(07668)

HOP Vol XX Special Number

.1968 No 2

uate the ecumenical investigation that had previously been made into the problem of the State* Por lack of this comprehensive review of previous studies* the report of the Second Section couid not give an adequate treats menb to the critioal pbints whioh urgently oall for further investigationd, and was content instead to make the statemait that the questions pertaining to the State "belong to a realm Of theology-now in a transitory ahd hehde we are called Upon to continue our efforts in this realm"«

stage, 36f '

b) Basic Theological Considerations

The theological answers given to the prob lens raised by the exist aloe of the State can, in the final analysis, be classified in two groups« We note, on the one side, the theories of slate basically taking the theologia naturális as their decisive point" of reference. These theories, folloving the teaching of Aqúinas with its Aristotelian traditions, deduce the essence of the State from the social nature of man« This orientation marks the theology of the Ronan Catholic Church and also the approach of Anglican theology« Their basic thesis is that human nature, including human reason, was not impaired by the Pall, Hence hurrán reason is oapable to recognize the natural laws of communal life: the State is port of the status integritatis. cf pure human nature which preceded the fall« "Great thinkers have always emphasized that the State has issued from human nature being in the status naturae purae"P'/

On the other side, we note the theories cf the State based on the theology cf the Reformat ion. They have an entirely different anthropological background* In this view, the State is the dam against the destructive foroes unleashed by the corruption of human nature. The State is the outcome of man,s sinful nature (status naturae oorruptae)«

We must mention yet another- approach vshich decisively determines the contents of the various Christian teachings on the State« The differences between the various theological views concerning the State can be traced back to exegetical differences, to various interpretations of the relevant passages of the Bible (it is not possible, within the scope of this Contribution, to discuss the exegesis of these passages,neither to consider the contradictions between Ramans 13 and Rev 13; we must limit ourselves to a few summary statements)* Everybody agrees that there is no homogeneous theory of State in the New Testament, However, numerous passages directly or indirectly touch upon the reality which we call the State, The views of the State depend, to no small extent, on the question as to which cf the relevant passages cf the New Testament ore accentuated. The "polis" (or "basileia") denotes the general sphere in vjhich man, determined "by social relations, lives and works (Matthew 3:25; 21:17; Mark 11;19; Matthew 12:25; 24:7; Mark 3:24) - both in the literal and in the figurative sense, "Exousia" - in relation to the State - means the integrating force of society, either as the power cf the individual in relation to the other man, or the power expressed by the social reality (Matthew