Regalist

A term referring to a political doctrine that advocates for the authority of the monarch or sovereign in ecclesiastical matters, often associated with the belief that the state should have control over the church. This concept is particularly relevant in discussions of the relationship between church and state, where regalists assert the supremacy of royal power in religious affairs.

Regalist meaning with examples

• The regalist stance taken by the monarchy in the 17th century led to significant tensions with the Catholic Church, resulting in a series of conflicts that would shape the religious landscape of the time. Monarchs sought to appoint bishops, thereby consolidating control over church governance and diminishing papal influence over national affairs.
• During the Enlightenment, many philosophers criticized the regalist ideology, arguing that a separation of church and state would preserve individual freedoms and prevent the abuses of power that characterized previous monarchies. This intellectual movement provided the groundwork for the eventual rise of more secular governments.
• In contemporary discussions of church-state relations, the term 'regalist' is often used to describe movements that seek to re-establish royal control over religious institutions, which can be contentious in democracies that value religious freedom and pluralism.
• The regalist approach to governance was evident in the policies of certain European monarchs who sought to integrate national and religious identities, thereby using religion as a tool to reinforce their political legitimacy and unite their subjects under a common belief system.