One of the defining features of modern society is the separation of religion and politics. However, as we know, this hasn't always been the case. In the first three centuries of its existence, the Church faced violent persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire. Eventually, it was granted freedom of worship and became the official religion of the Empire. This began a harmonious union between the Church and the state, known as Christendom. In this union, the Church became concerned and preoccupied with matters of state. For twelve hundred years, the union endured across Europe. Then, the Protestant Reformation occurred, challenging the divine origin of the papacy and shattering religious unity across Europe. Christendom ceased to exist. Nonetheless, Christianity continued to exist, and the manner in which governments should interact with the Church under the new order of things became a pressing issue for lay and ordained alike, resulting in religious warfare and persecution. In the British Isles, people were only allowed to practice their religion if it matched the current religious beliefs of the ruling authority.
John Locke emerged as the philosopher par excellence in this highly tumultuous and politically charged environment. Locke was born in Somerset, England, on August 29, 1632, and died on October 28, 1704, at 72. Despite his career as a medical doctor, Locke became widely known for his influential literary works, in particular, his "Letters concerning Tolerance" (1689-1692), his "Two Treatises on Government" (1689), and “An Essay concerning Human Understanding” (1689). Locke is famous for his liberal, anti-authoritarian theory of the state, his empirical theory of knowledge, and his support for religious toleration. Throughout his work, Locke opposes authoritarianism, whether at the level of the individual or within institutions such as the government and church. He is widely known as the father of Liberalism, a social and political philosophy which advocates that individuals are inherently rational and should have maximum freedom as long as it does not impinge on the freedom of others. Locke argued that society consists of two separate spheres: public or political and private spheres of religion. As long as individuals respect the rule of law, the liberal state should not interfere in their religious life. The state's purpose is to safeguard and ensure individual freedom.
Locke's theory of liberalism promotes religious tolerance and individual freedom. He argues that suppressing religious practice will inevitably result in social disorder. In his treatise, he notes that men, including kings and their ministers, are imperfect creatures who cannot claim to know with certainty what God's will might be for all of humankind. Secondly, if they try to impose their interpretation on others through the force of political power, they merely create anger, resentment, and resistance on the part of those being made to profess belief and allegiance to something they do not honestly believe in their hearts and minds. For Locke, there was no workable alternative other than to promote religious tolerance and allow individuals to find God in their own way and, by so doing, separate religion from politics and political control. In summary, Locke aimed to formally end the marriage between the Church and state by establishing secular authority's supremacy over the churches without allowing the government to use religion to oppress people. He believed religious freedom should be limited to forms of worship and avoid political meddling. He hoped free churches would promote civic virtue and peaceful citizens. His strategy was that it would make Christianity more compatible with the modern state and, therefore, keep Britain away from revolution.
Notably, John Wesley addressed the same question of how to live in harmony shortly after Locke's time. In 1750, when Wesley published his sermon 'Catholic Spirit', he and his preachers faced persecution by church leaders. Wesley stressed that persecution was a result of intolerance, which in turn was due to the absence of freedom of thought within the Church. According to Wesley, for freedom of thought to be practiced, individuals needed to be open to doubt their own opinions and acknowledge the limitations of their knowledge. A significant portion of this insightful sermon, which emphasises the need for tolerance, is indebted to two of John Locke’s treatises, 'An Essay concerning Human Understanding' and the first 'Letter concerning Toleration.' In 1725, Wesley read Locke's essay and gained insights into the boundaries of human understanding. These insights included the idea that one's own opinions could be wrong and that questioning one's beliefs might lead to acknowledging that someone else's opinions could be right. These concepts could lead to what Locke called 'toleration' and what Wesley called the 'Catholic Spirit.'
Today, Locke's ideas are often referenced in political conversations about free speech and freedom of expression. His legacy is also enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948.
So relevant to today's situation!