Becket: Church and State

Fascinating online discussion from the British Museum discussing why the dispute between Henry II and Becket was important and its relevance today.

The fascination of this talk came from the speakers, Rowan Williams, previous Archbishop of Canterbury and Rose Hudson-Wilkin, previous chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and now Suffragan bishop of Dover ably chaired by Naomi Speakman, Curator of the current British Museum exhibition on Becket. What better placed speakers to talk about church and state in modern Britain as they have lived it most directly.

Williams shed light on the nuanced issues of the time and claiming Becket lost the battle but won the war as one of the principles of Magna Carta was “let the church be free”. He also talked about how in current times the church has to follow state law, such as shutting churches during Covid, but that this can be a tension.

Hudson-Wilkin talked about being a member of the clergy at the heart of parliament and talked about how you still see power games today. She talked about how we still have a sense of patronage with the idea that someone you appoint will probably agree with you as well as the sense that it tends to need a level of wealth to enter politics. She also however felt it was still the role of the church to challenge the state on issues such as overseas aid, refugees and gambling policy.

Williams also talked about the national role of the church and what a privilege it was to officiate at national events even the difficult ones like the services after the Iraq War and the London bombings. He said Prince Philip had called these “all the bloody difficult assignments”. He also talk about how the cult of Becket had given the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury an international element and how Canterbury is the focus of the Anglican church, even for people who have never been there.

 

 

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