The Separation of Church and the State
The definition of the church and the state differ in several dimensions. However, the two institutions have coexisted for several years with concerns being raised concerning their interrelated roles. Dante lived in an era when the Roman church had taken dominion offer the state and political power had been given to the church. The church not only controlled part of the civic sector but was given some regions to exert power over. In his poem “Inferno,” Dante, however, holds a different view concerning the involvement of the church in politics. Dante believes that the allowance of politics in the church contributes to the mass deviation of the clergymen and other church leaders from their spiritual responsibilities. Dante uses his experience in the purgatory to support his idea that hell was holding several church leaders for their involvement in politics at the expense of their spiritual duties and that the church should be separated from the state.
Dante uses the motif of the separation of church and the state by basing his argument on the experiences in hell. The imagery created concerning hell shows that the church leaders were being punished for their wrongdoings while on earth. The tone used by Dante, however, shows that he is supportive of the punishment given to the sinners and advocates for the separation of the church and the state.
The banishment of Dante from Florence was motivated by his position on the idea of separating the church from the state. Dante believed that the involvement of the clergymen and other religious men in politics came at the expense of their spiritual duties. Generally, Dante is a committed Christian and is concerned at the rate at which the church members were drifting from their spiritual powers and engaging in the matters of the state. Dante decides to accept the call to go to the purgatory while still alive in a bid to obtain evidence concerning his claims. The experience in the hell strengthens Dante’s advocacy for the difference between the two institutions. Dante admits to being unable to count the church leaders who were held in various circles of hell for being sinners. Some of the sins that led to the state of the leaders included corruption the was brought about due to involvement with the matters of the state.
Dante finds out that several leaders are held at various circles of hell due to sins that occurred due to their involvement with the state. The experience further led Dante into maintaining a strict faith in Christianity and continued to condemn the participation of clergymen on matters of state. Besides, Dante likened the involvement of the church leaders in politics as an abuse of spiritual power, and hence, the leaders deserved the treatment they were receiving after death. Dante uses the final image in the poem to claim his stand on the separation of the church. Before the close of the poem, Dante presents Lucifer chewing Judas Iscariot for betraying religion and Cassius and Brutus for betraying Caesar. Generally, the presentation of Lucifer punishing betrayers of faith and state similarly showed that both institutions were equal. Dante used equality portrayed to explain why the institutions should be treated as separate identities.
In sum, the motif of separation of the church and the state is developed through the experiences of Dante in the purgatory. Dante holds a strict Christian position and does not accept any claim supporting the involvement of the church leaders on matters of the state. Generally, Dante believes that church leaders use the excuse of being involved in church matters to deviate from their spiritual duties. Dante believes that the church and the state are equal institutions and should be treated separately.
Works Cited
Alighieri, Dante, and Gustave Doré. Inferno. Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Company, 2001.