For the past couple of weeks we have discussed how the Anglo-Saxons and the English people of the Middle Ages related religion and politics — one of the liveliest discussions being about how the Wife of Bath tries to reconcile both ecclesiastical and secular laws about polygamy and adultery. We also touched on the struggle between the Crown and the Church in the 13th and 14th centuries, a struggle which we will continue to study as we look at the affects of the Protestant Reformation and Henry VIII’s decision to break with the catholic church.

Yet, this struggle, the simultaneous need and inability to separate matters of Church and matters of State, continues to plague modern society. We find ourselves, especially during election years, choosing between candidates whose views on war, abortion, stem cell research, marriage, what to teach in school, how to deal with global warming, military policies, etc., are largely based on their beliefs.

My question to y’all: How much should religion dictate law?

• How much power should the church have over the state?
• How much should law dictate religion?
• What are the positives and negatives of using religion to create laws?
• Is it even possible to completely separate the two?
• Should we care about a candidate’s faith? Or what about the faith of their near or distant relatives? If so, why so? If not, why not?

Use the text, current events, and your personal experiences to support your answers.  In answering some of these questions, I expect that you all will raise some more of your own questions…and that’s okay. That’s the best way to have a discussion. See you in class!