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InCatholicism, thedoctrine (ortheory)of the two swords is anexegesis ofLuke 22:38 elaborated in theMiddle Ages. It can be understood as a particular justification for theGelasian doctrine of "the sacred authority of the priesthood and the royal power".[1]
This particular exegesis of "here are two swords ... it is enough" was first put forward byPeter Damian in the 1060s. It was later taken up byGottschalk of Aachen on behalf of theEmperor Henry IV (1056–1105) against the claims ofPope Gregory VII (1073–1085) during theInvestiture Contest. In the 12th century,Bernard of Clairvaux, in hisDe consideratione, argued that both the "material sword" (gladius materialis) and the "spiritual sword" (gladius spiritualis) belonged ultimately to thePapacy.[1]
By the early 13th century, the two swords were the subject of serious study and debate amongcanon lawyers anddecretalists. The main question was whether Bernard was right. Had God given each sword to its rightful bearer, theHoly Roman Emperor and the Pope, or had he given both to the Pope, who then bestowed the material sword on the emperor? WhenPope Gregory IX started theWar of the Keys againstEmperor Frederick II in 1228, it was on the basis of a claim to control both swords. In any case, however, churchmen could not bear actual swords; the material swords was to be wielded by laymen, even if under papal authority.[2]
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