Politics and Churches (TCG)

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==The Divine Right of Kings==
Because of the awesome power of churches in any feudal society, it is important to both the government and religious leaders that both recognize each-other's power. The government recognizes the importance of the churches by consulting with them on any important issues and seeking their guidance in most social matters. This trust is best seen in the appointment of a Lord High Chaplin to the king's staff of advisors. In addition, many societies grant the church certain priveleges (like tax exemptions or free use of the lord's land) to further secure their friendship.
For their part, churches promote a belief in the divine right of kings. In short, this policy simply reflects a belief that any king (or emperor) is himself a vassal who holds his own lands (the kingdom) through the grace of whatever deity he worships. This is generally accepted by the royal family because it bestows upon the king and his actions an illusion of divine guidance. It is because of this belief that many nations have gone to war with the thought that "the gods are on our side." Of course, who would want to fight a war in which the gods supported the other side?
By holding a special coronation service whenever a new ruler ascends to the throne, the church regonizes him as the rightful leader of a nation. The major drawback to such an act is that the church must strip a king of this divine blessing if it should become important that they oppose him on a major policy issue. Usually, any king who is declaired to have fallen out of favor with the most important faith in his kingdom will find himself quickly opposed by a powerful noble who has the backing of the church. Such conflicts can often lead to a civil war and are thus avoided by both sides whenever possible.
==Politics Within The Churches==
Just as there is a great deal of political intrigue and activity in the feudal government itself, so too is the typical church hierarchy a hotbed of power struggles. While this is not as true in the lower ranks of the church structure, it often becomes the case at higher levels. This is due mainly to the lack of true power which lesser officials have and the fact that many of them are not overly ambitious.
Once one reaches the level of curate, however, political savvy begins to become an important part of a religious leader's job. In addition to dealing with the local chivalrics and nobles, the curate must manage the affairs of his own staff, many of whom may have designs on his job. On the other hand, he may well have his own sights set on the job of the dean above him. If this sounds familiar. it's probably because the same sort of thing is a regular part of the affairs of the nobility. Beyond a certain point it becomes almost impossible to tell a church official apart from a politician.
==Conflicting Faiths==
In most kingdoms, the major faith will be determined by the beliefs of the king himself. If the King is a worshipper of the Egyptian pantheon, then that is likely to be the state religion. If the King is not religious (seldom the case), he will still find it wise to pay lip service to a popular faith and adopt it as the state religion. In most cases, a king who opposes religious practices in his realm or who actively confronts the various religious orders popular among the serfs is going to find himself with a revolution or a revolt on his hands.
In some cases, however, it is difficult to say where the line must be drawn. If the royal family has strong ties to two religions, then it may be difficult for a ruler to maintain a stable government. In some cases, a civil war or internal power struggle may erupt, with each side being supported by a powerful church. In such cases, it is almost certain that both sides will, in the end, turn out far worse for the whole affair.
In cases where the faiths are not incompatible, it may be possible for an agreement to be reached. As a rule, however, most religions are prone to dislike and distrust those with differing beliefs. Even in the rare case where supporters of similar, but different, faiths reach a concensus, there is usually too much suspicion and political manuevering to make any lasting alliance possible.
Of course, no king or high priest (except for a fanatic or a fool) wants a Holy War or a religious dispute to erupt in their kingdom or church. In addition to being expensive, it makes them more vulnerable to their adversaries. Thus, even in cases where a dispute exists, it is sometimes possible for those on both sides to "agree to disagree" and let things go at that for a little while. Such compromises are, by and large, a good thing for both sides. The major problem with them, however, is that they do not tend to survive the test of time.
A good assumption to make is that any large kingdom which has been around for a long time will have a single powerful state religion. Other faiths, although they may be legal, are not usually popular. Although it is often almost impossible to utterly destroy a faith which has gotten a foothold in a given society, it is possible to discredit it and drive it underground. In such cases, the unified actions of the state and its official religion are generally effective.
==The Church and Magic==
An important question which must be answered when setting up a campaign world is this: what is the church's view of the practice of magic?
In some cases, the church will sanction such efforts and may even fund spell research and similar projects on the part of wizards. This is the case with temples to such deities as the Egyptian god. dess Isis or the Greek goddess Hecate, both of whom are the patrons of magicians.
On the other hand, some churches look upon the practice of magic as an evil thing. In their opin ion, use of magic is often seen as an attempt by man to steal the powers of the gods and attain a divine status for himself. Obviously, they cannot allow such blasphemy to continue unchecked, so they will often harrass or even declare a virtual Holy War against those who employ magic.
This can be an important consideration. A priest character who worships a deity that considers all magicians to be enemies of the faith, may well find himself at odds with a fellow party member who is an illusionist. Further, a king or lesser lord in a nation with such a religion is not going to have a high wizard on his staff of advisors.