May 23, 2025
Istrumentum regni
The instrumental use of
religion (instrumentum regni) seems like a negative fact. But religion as
instrumentum regni is a general historical phenomenon and does not concern only
religion.
A politician needs consensus, and if he believes that consensus can come from
religion (or something else), he will logically act in that direction.
Whether a politician truly shares the ideas he promotes ultimately doesn’t
matter much: what matters is what he does.
Even Constantine was probably not truly Christian, yet with his edict he paved
the way for the definitive victory of Christianity.
Likewise today, some support the traditional family, others sexual freedom,
etc., etc.: what they truly think (or do in their private lives) doesn’t matter
— what matters is what they promote and do in political life.