Status Updates From The Liturgy of Politics: Sp...

Likewise, the church doesn’t have jurisdiction over legislative matters, its actions are politically significant.

These limitations create room for neutrality without declaring one institution completely uninterested in the activities of the other, and vice versa. The church and state are limited in their authority, but that doesn’t mean that either are politically or spiritually neutral. The state doesn’t have jurisdiction over worship and theological convictions, but its actions are theologically significant;

Understanding the church as an institution helps us think about its jurisdictional limitations. It is one institution ordained by God, and government is another. Where we draw that line is complicated, but understanding each institution as both ordained by God and limited in its authority is a helpful place to start.