Erastianism is a theological and political doctrine that advocates the supremacy of the state over the church in ecclesiastical matters. It is named after the 16th-century Protestant theologian Thomas Erastus, who argued that the civil government should hold authority over religious institutions and that the state has the right to intervene in church affairs. Erastianism emphasizes a close relationship between church and state, often leading to the subordination of religious authority to governmental authority.
