Thursday, April 05, 2007

Ecclesiocracy is not Theocracy

I read of a pastor who is going to preach a sermon against theocracy on Easter Sunday. I hope that he does not say the Lord's prayer, because the third line of that prayer sounds a bit like theocracy to me. The problem is that theocracy is misunderstood.

It has a bad name in the modern world, because it confused with ecclesiocracy, the rule of the church (ecclesia kratos = church rule). The rule of the Islamic clergy in Iran is often incorrectly described as a theocracy, because the clergy have control over the government.

Theocracy is not God ruling through the church or the clergy. Ecclesiocracy is not the same as theocracy. The church must never rule the state. It becomes dangerous when it rules in the political sphere.

Theocracy is God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

6 comments:

Steve Scott said...

Sevenfold amen.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Yes. And I think such would confuse things as well. We in Jesus are one holy nation (Peter) scattered throughout the earth, I believe. God's kingdom is present among and in us. And we're workers together as part of the new creation to extend the new creation (what N.T. Wright calls, "the new creation project"). Thanks.

Great point that often us Americans don't think about. But important for us related to how we look at politics.

Aaron said...

Hey, that's verbatim from Gene's blog. Credit the quotes!

Aaron said...

Unless Gene quoted this post in his comment without citing the source.... which is possible...

Ron McK said...

Gene did credit his quote.
Ron

Anonymous said...

The bible is a book of metaphor and it is necessary that you come to recognize that this is so. In the meantime, it would be well appreciated if you would refrain from spreading your imaginated facts and promoting a government based upon myth.