A Comparative Analysis on Church-State Relations in Eastern Orthodoxy: Concepts, Models, and Principles

Abstract

Church-state relations in Eastern Orthodoxy have provoked many debates among theologians, scholars, and policy-makers. Currently, however, there is no consensus about which one of the past and present models of church-state relations can be considered properly Orthodox. The theologians belonging to this Christian denomination often criticize and even reject the Western legal systems that presume a certain degree of separation between church and state. According to them, this principle contradicts the Orthodox ideal of full harmony and unity between both institutions. The representatives of Byzantine studies, whose research has explored the role of Byzantium as a cradle of Orthodox civilization, express similar views. The other pole in the debate is comprised of experts in political and social sciences who interpret Orthodox church-state relations as being characterized by a domination of state over church, which limits the ability of these societies to develop democracy.1 This view is often combined with accusations against Orthodox churches of being “nationalist institutions.”2 This thesis was synthesized by Vjekoslav Perica, who defines Orthodoxy as a religion in which “the Church, ethnic community and state grow together.”3