Theocracy

The term theocracy is used to describe a form of government in which a religion or faith plays a dominant role.

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The word theocracy originates from the Greek ????????? (theokratia). The components of the word ???? (theos), “god” and ??????? (kratein), “to rule”. The term means “rule by god”.

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In the most common usage of the term theocracy, in which some civil rulers are identical with some leaders of the dominant religion (e.g., the Byzantine emperor as head of the Church), governmental policies are either identical with, or strongly influenced by, the principles of a religion (often the majority religion), and typically, the government claims to rule on behalf of God or a higher power, as specified by the local religion. However, unlike other forms of government, a theocracy can be unique, in that the administrative hierarchy of the government is often identical with the administrative hierarchy of the religion. This distinguishes a theocracy from forms of government which have a state religion, or from traditional monarchies, in which the head of state claims that his or her authority comes from God.

Related Topics:
Religion - God - State religion

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A more literal term for what is commonly meant by "theocracy" is "ecclesiocracy," which denotes the rule of a religious leader or body in the name of God, as opposed to the literal rule of God.

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