Confessional state

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For the form of government that organizes representation along religious lines, see Confessionalism (politics).
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A confessional state is a state which officially recognises and practices a particular religion (also known as a

public spending on the maintenance of church property and clergy be unrestricted, but it does not need to be under the legislative control of the clergy as it would be in a theocracy
.

Over human history, many states have been confessional states. This is especially true in countries where Christianity, Islam and Buddhism were the religions of the state. Until the beginning of the 20th century, many if not most nations had state religions enshrined in their respective constitutions or by decree of the monarch, even if other religions were permitted to practice.

However, there are many examples of large multicultural empires that have existed throughout time where the religion of the state was not imposed on subjected regions. For instance, the

clergies
and practices were allowed to dominate as long as offerings were made to Roman Gods and tribute paid to Rome.

Jewish people suffered various degrees of official and unofficial discrimination; during the same period in Islamic states, non-Muslims or dhimmi
were legally inferior to Muslims but in theory accorded certain protections.

In Europe, the 1648

Protestant Reformation
.

Tensions based on inclusiveness in religious nationalism

Main article: Religious nationalism

In a 2002

inclusiveness in religious nationalism causing tensions as well as shifts from ethnic to civic nationalism. He evaluated the religious nationalism of Christianity, with nationalism as "may [be understood] as the impulse of an ethnic group to claim the right to participate in the government of a given territory", presumably also manifesting in the form of state-level religious affiliation, and religious nationalism as "may mean the impulse of the group in question to invoke a religious warrant for its claim to such a right." Subscribing to "the literature [that it] is divided into two basic types: 'ethnic' and 'civic'", accepting that "religious people do perform [giving religious reasons for ethnocratic rule], thus contributing, it would appear, to the violence that so often attends one ethnic group's drive for political domination", Little nonetheless concludes that "throughout the course of Christian history" that in response to "Christians [that] advocate one or another version of ethnocratic rule", "[...] there are strong [Christian] dissenting voices that are dedicated to promoting ethnic and religious inclusiveness based on tolerance and equality in the civic order."[1]

A danger from religious nationalism is that when the state derives political legitimacy from adherence to religious doctrines, this may leave an opening to overtly religious elements, institutions, and leaders, making the appeals to religion more 'authentic' by bringing more explicitly theological interpretations to political life. Thus, appeals to religion as a marker of ethnicity create an opening for more strident and ideological interpretations of religious nationalism.

Modern times

Muslim world map of countries by state-level religious affiliation. Those practicing and recognising a state religion and above are confessional states.

The confessional state is largely gone in the Western World, although in the

Muslim world. A number of modern countries have state religions; they usually also allow freedom of religion
.

Civic nationalist confessional state

Main article: Civic nationalism

Historical

Scotland

During the Scottish Reformation, in the beginning of Scottish Presbyterianism, the interpretation of various religious figures being rebuked by their superiors enabled a "radical" check and balance by Scottish covenanters to bind the monarch by law and subject them to divine authority.

United States

Several of the Thirteen Colonies were confessional states, although of different denominations, before the American Revolution; Connecticut remained one until 1818. Other American states required each town or individual to support some religious body, without the state deciding which one; but this was also abolished, the last instance being Massachusetts, which restricted the obligation in 1821 and ended it in 1843.

Modern

England

The 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith Genevan approach associated with John Calvin was in favor of limiting from the Christian ruler the role of the church in administering discipline, up to excommunication, while affirming their duty to promote and protect true religion.[4]

It persists, with reduced political power, as an

Anglican
confessional state.

Russia

Russia is formally secular but its government strongly promotes and relies on Orthodox Christianity and its values.

Costa Rica

A Catholic confessional state.

Egypt

In 2015, President

al-Azhar, one of the most eminent centers of Sunni Muslim thought and teaching."[5]

Modern theocratic

Main article: Theocracy

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a state incorporating Islamic law in full into their legal system.

Vatican City

canon law
.

Pakistan

Pakistan is a former ethnic nationalist theocratic confessional state. In 1980, Pakistan's separate electoral system for different religions has been described as 'political Apartheid'. Hindu community leader Sudham Chand protested against the system but was murdered. In 1999, Pakistan abolished this system.[6] Pakistan is a theocracy incorporating Islamic law in part, due to the state having retained most of the laws that were inherited from the British legal code that had been enforced by the British Raj since the 19th century.

Poland status

Some writers counter accusations that Poland is a theocracy by stating that it is in fact a confessional state.[7] Other writers view the notion as theocratic.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Little, David (December 22, 2002). "Religious and civic nationalism: a response to Mehmet Aydin. - Free Online Library". Journal of Ecumenical Studies. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  2. ^ Elliesie, Hatem. "Rule of Law in Islamic Modeled States" Archived 2019-06-10 at the Wayback Machine. In Koetter, Matthias; Shuppert, Gunnar Folke, eds. (2010). Understanding of the Rule of Law in Various Legal Orders of the World: Working Paper Series Nr. 13 of SFB 700: Governance in Limited Areas of Statehood. Berlin.
  3. ^ Moschtaghi, Ramin. "Rule of Law in Iran" Archived 2019-06-12 at the Wayback Machine. In Koetter, Matthias; Shuppert, Gunnar Folke, eds. (2010). Understanding of the Rule of Law in Various Legal Orders of the World: Working Paper Series Nr. 13 of SFB 700: Governance in Limited Areas of Statehood. Berlin.
  4. ISBN 1000605892
    . Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  5. ^ El Deeb, Sarah; Keath, Lee (8 January 2015). "Egypt's president issues ambitious call to reform Islam". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  6. ^ Riaz Sohail (2 March 2007). "Hindus feel the heat in Pakistan". BBC News. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  7. ^ "Why Speak of Theocracy in Poland When Confessional States Make up the Secular West?". patheos.com. 2016-06-10.
  8. ^ "Opinion: You can't force the 'traditional moral order' on the public". Washington Post. 2019-10-18.
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