ABSTRACT
A key part of that sense of history can be found in the writings that underpinned the development of the modem nation state. This chapter highlights the works of a few key individuals and examines the link between Church and state preceding the rise of the modem nation state. It also examines the impacts of the Renaissance and the Reformation on that linkage in Spain, England, and France. The modem nation state emerged during a period of intense debate concerning the nature of the relationship between church and state, and in the context of great economic and commercial upheaval accompanying the Renaissance. The Reformation was another major force influencing the emergence of the modem nation state. Political and social change resulting from the Renaissance fostered change in the religious status quo. The political and social change of the Renaissance was accompanied by religious change. The chapter concludes by examining the implications for the development of the administrative state.
