the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...

lood and eat his body established an equally frustrating cross between earthly wine and
heavenly blood, one that required Christians to gather together to carry out an earthly
ritual. Moreover, if the Apostles beheld God in the flesh when he appeared on Earth as
Jesus Christ, then interpreting the second commandment that made all images of the
transcendent God taboo (Exodus 20:4) was no longer an easy matter: did the Bilderverbot
apply to images of Christ as well?
And finally, though the world may be sinful, Christ repeatedly refused any
involvement in political and social affairs, opening up the disjunction between the secular
and sacred spheres when he tells his followers “So gebet dem Keiser, was des Keisers ist,
und Gotte, was Gottes ist.” 76 This is easier said than done, given that what is at stake is
salvation (what could be more important?) and the absolute claims of an omnipotent God
(why should his claims not be absolute?). 77 Confessionalization puts additional pressure
on Christ’s commandment, in that the Landeskirche, under the oversight of the Prince,
seems to play the role of both Caesar and God. In this tense scenario, it is no easy task to
distinguish between the things that belong to God and those that belong to Caesar.
Although Luther does make room for temporal political authority, he still argues
for a strict separation of temporal and spiritual government. Temporal authority is
charged with restraining the chaos that constantly threatens the post-lapsarian world, 78
76 Matthew, 22:21
77 Kolakowski, 26. Leszek Kolakowski, "Toleranz und Absolutheitsansprüche," in Christlicher Glaube in
moderner Gesellschaft, ed. Franz Böckle et al. (Freiburg im Briesgau: Herder, 1981).
78 WA11, 251:12-15. Luther addresses this question, amongst others, in a treatise from 1523 entitled Von
welltlicher Uberkeytt, wie weyt man yhr gehorsam schuldig sey: “Zum reych der wellt oder unter das gesetz
gehören alle, die nicht Christen sind. Denn syntemal wenig glewben und das weniger teyl sich hellt nach
Christlicher art, das es nicht widderstrebe dem ubel, Ja das es nicht selb ubel thue, hat Gott den selben
ausser dem Chrstlichen stand unnd Gottis reych eyn ander regiment verschafft unnd sie unter das schwerd
geworffen...Denn wo das nicht were, Syntemal alle wellt böse und unter tausent kaum eyn recht Christ ist,
würde eyns das ander fressen, das niemant kund weyb und kind zihen, sich neeren und Gotte dienen, damit
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