Church and State: The Promise of Reformed Theology for the Church Today

Abstract

This article surveys the ways in which Reformed theology (particularly the Westminster Standards and subsequent generations of Scottish and American Presbyterians) has articulated the relationship between the church and civil government. It addresses two fruits of this line of reflection that are especially pertinent to the contemporary church. The first is that this doctrine makes provision for the divinely guaranteed religious liberty of all human beings, even in the face of a civil government’s attempts to abridge or usurp that authority. The second is that this doctrine provides clear guidance to the church concerning the ways in which the church, in its organized capacity, may and may not engage in matters that concern both the church and the state. KEYWORDS: Church, state, civil magistrate, religious liberty, Westminster Assembly, Scottish Presbyterian, American Presbyterian, PC (USA)