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A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. The term state church is associated with Christianity, and is sometimes used to denote a specific national branch of Christianity. Closely related to state churches are what sociologists call ecclesiae, though the two are slightly different. State religions are examples of the official or government-sanctioned establishment of religion, as distinct from theocracy. It is also possible for a national church to become established without being under state control.
Types of state churches
The degree and nature of state backing for denomination or creed designated as a state religion can vary. It can range from mere endorsement and financial support, with freedom for other faiths to practice, to prohibiting any competing religious body from operating and to persecuting the followers of other sects. In Europe, competition between Catholic and Protestant denominations for state sponsorship in the 16th century evolved the principle cuius regio eius religio ("states follow the religion of the ruler") embodied in the text of the treaty that marked the Peace of Augsburg, 1555. In England the monarch imposed Protestantism, with himself taking the place of the Pope, while in Scotland the Church of Scotland became the established Kirk in opposition to the religion of the ruler.
In some cases, a state may have a set of state-sponsored religious denominations that it funds; such is the case in Alsace-Moselle in France, following the pattern in Germany.
In some communist states, notably the People's Republic of China, the state sponsors religious organizations, and activities outside those state-sponsored religious organizations are met with various degrees of official disapproval. In these cases, state religions are widely seen as efforts by the state to prevent alternate sources of authority.
Sociology of state churches
Sociologists refer to mainstream non-state religions as denominations. State religions tend to admit a larger variety of opinion within them than denominations. Denominations encountering major differences of opinion within themselves are likely to split; this option is not open for most state churches, so they tend to try to integrate differing opinions within themselves.However, state churches have divided, with the dissidents losing the advantages of state support. The Church of Scotland has split several times in the past for doctrinal reasons, including the meaning and acceptability of state support. Attempts by the monarch to impose bishops on the Kirk led to the splitting off of the non-established Scottish Episcopal Church. Its largest offshoots from a later disruption were the Free Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland. These offshoots did lose the established status of their parent, but since 1929 the (partially) reunited Church of Scotland has considered itself to be a "national church" rather than an established church, as it is entirely independent of state control in matters spiritual.
Many sociologists now consider the effect of a state church as analogous to a chartered monopoly in religion.
Where state religions exist, it is usually true the majority of residents are officially considered adherents; however, much of this support is little more than nominal; many members of the church rarely attend it. But the population's allegiance towards the state religion is often strong enough to prevent them from joining competing religious groups.
A denomination's status as official religion does not always imply that the jurisdiction prohibits the existence or operation of other sects or religious bodies. It all depends upon the government and the level of tolerance the citizens of that country have for each other. Some countries with official religions have laws that guarantee the freedom of worship, full liberty of conscience, and places of worship for all citizens; and implement those laws than other countries that do not have an official or established state religion.
Disestablishment
See also secular state.
Disestablishment is the process of divesting a church of its status as an organ of the state. In Britain there was a campaign by Liberals, dissenters and nonconformists to disestablish the Church of England in the late 19th century; it failed in England, but demands for the measure persist to this day. The Church of Ireland was disestablished in 1869 and the Church of England was disestablished in Wales in 1920, becoming the Church in Wales rather than the Church of Wales. Those who wish to continue with an established church take a position of antidisestablishmentarianism.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution explicitly forbids the U.S. federal government from enacting any law respecting a religious establishment, and thus forbids either designating an official church for the United States, or interfering with State and local official churches — which were common when the First Amendment was enacted. It did not prevent state governments from establishing official churches. Connecticut continued to do so until she replaced her colonial Charter with the Connecticut Constitution of 1818; Massachusetts did not disestablish its official church until 1833, more than forty years after the ratification of the First Amendment; and local official establishments of religion persisted even later.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1868, makes no mention of religious establishment, but forbids the states to "abridge the privileges or immunities" of U.S. citizens, or to "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." However, since 1947, Everson v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court has held that this later provision incorporates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause as applying to the States, and thereby presumably prohibits state and local religious establishments. The exact boundaries of this prohibition are still disputed, and are a frequent source of cases before the US Supreme Court — especially as the court must now reconcile this post-1947 view with the original First Amendment clause that explicitly prohibits any restraint on the free exercise of religion.
All current U.S. State Constitutions include guarantees of religious liberty parallel to the First Amendment, but at least one (North Carolina) also prohibits atheists from holding public office*.
Christian countries
The following states recognize some form of Christianity as their official religion (by denomination):
Roman Catholic
Jurisdictions which recognize Catholicism as their official religion:- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Liechtenstein
- Malta
- Monaco
- Some cantons of Switzerland
- Vatican City
Eastern Orthodox
Jurisdictions which recognize one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches as their official religion:- Cyprus
- Georgia - the Georgian Orthodox Church is the de-facto state religion, receiving more rights through law than other religions and being recognised constitutionally for its importance in Georgian history, yet not being explicitly designated as the official religion.
- Greece
The Russian Federation recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church, the main sub-branch of the greater Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam as all "official" and "indigenous" to Russian soil.
Oriental Orthodox
Jurisdictions which recognize one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches as their official religion:
- Armenia - like Georgia, the Armenian Apostolic Church is the de-facto state religion
Lutheran
Jurisdictions which recognize a Lutheran church as their official religion:Until 2000, Sweden had the localized Lutheran Church as a state church. The Church of Sweden has now been relegated to the status of a national church. Finland's former state church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, was changed into a national church (along with the Finnish Orthodox Church, which was given the same position) through the church law of 1870, the constitution of 1919 and the law on religious freedom of 1922.
Anglican
Jurisdictions that recognise an Anglican church as their state religion:Reformed
Jurisdictions which recognize a Reformed church as their official religion:- Some cantons of Switzerland
Islamic Countries
Countries which recognize Islam as their official religion:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Brunei
- Comoros - constitution does not mention of any official religion, but recognises the Islamic faith as the main source of legislation and bans other religions from proselytising.
- Egypt - recognises Islamic Shari'a as a main source of legislation; however, makes no mention of Islam as the state religion.
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- Syria - constitution does not mention Islam as an official religion, but recognises the Islamic faith as the main source of legislation and specifies that the President has to be a Muslim.
- Tunisia
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
States which recognize specifically Sunni Islam as their official religion:
- Algeria
- Saudi Arabia (as state-sanctioned religion)
- Somalia
States which recognize specifically Shia Islam as their official religion:
- Iran (as state-sanctioned religion)
The Republic of Lebanon recognizes sixteen religious sects belonging to Christianity and Islam, in addition to Judaism. However there is no particular state religion. According to the constitution, the prime minister must necessarily be a muslim and the president of the Republic a Maronite Catholic Christian.
Buddhist Countries
Countries which recognize Buddhism as their official religion:
- Bhutan (Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism)
- Cambodia (Theravada Buddhism)
- Kalmykia, a republic within the Russian Federation (Tibetan Buddhism - sole Buddhist entity in Europe)
- Thailand (Theravada Buddhism)
- Tibet Government in Exile (Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism)
Hindu Countries
There are no countries that explicitly recognise Hinduism as their official religion. In the Constitution of Nepal, however, the country was referred to as the "Hindu Kingdom", even though Hinduism was not mentioned as the state religion.
As of May 2006, Nepal has officially been declared a secular state.
Jewish Countries
Note: Officially, Israel has no state religion or established church. The 'jewish State' refers to a homeland for the jewish people, not adherents of Judaism. A few personal status laws, in particular regarding marriage and divorce, are governed by state-recognized Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze authorities.
Ancient state religions
Egypt and Sumer
The concept of state religions was known as long ago as the empires of Egypt and Sumer, when every city state or people had its own god or gods. Many of the early Sumerian rulers were priests of their patron city god. Some of the earliest semi-mythological kings may have passed into the pantheon, like Dumuzid, and some later kings came to be viewed as divine soon after their reigns, like Sargon the Great of Akkad. One of the first rulers to be proclaimed a god during his actual reign was Gudea of Lagash, followed by some later kings of Ur, such as Shulgi. Often, the state religion was integral to the power base of the reigning government, such as in Egypt, where Pharaohs were often thought of as embodiments of the god Horus.Persian empire
Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the Sassanid dynasty which lasted from (226 - 651).Greek city-states
Many of the Greek city-states also had a 'god' or 'goddess' associated with that city. This would not be the 'only god' of the city, but the one that received special honors. In ancient Greece the city of Athens had Athena, Sparta had Artemis, Delos had Apollo, and Olympia had Zeus.Roman Religion and Christianity
In Rome, the office of Pontifex Maximus came to be reserved for the emperor, who was often declared a 'god' posthumously, or sometimes during his reign. Failure to worship the emperor as a god was at times punishable by death, as the Roman government sought to link emperor worship with loyalty to the Empire. Many Christians and Jews were subject to persecution, torture and death in the Roman Empire, because it was against their beliefs to worship the emperor.In 311 AD the Emperor Galerius, on his deathbed, declared religious freedom throughout the Roman Empire, especially focusing on the ending of anti-Christian persecution. By the Edict of Milan of 313, his successor Constantine the Great, who had switched his patron from Apollo to Christus, disestablished Roman paganism, and afterward he reorganised the Church, setting up the Council of Nicea, although he was not actually baptised himself until later. Despite enjoying considerable popular support, Christianity was still not an "official" state religion in Rome, although it was in some neighboring states such as Armenia and Aksum.
Roman Religion (Neoplatonic Hellenism) was restored for a time by Julian the Apostate from 361 to 363. Julian does not appear to have reinstated the persecutions of the earlier Roman emperors.
Christianity was declared to be the state religion of the Roman Empire in 392 by decree of Theodosius I.
Han Dynasty Confucianism and Sui Dynasty Buddhism
In China, the Han Dynasty (206 BC -- 220 AD) advocated Confucianism as the de facto state religion, establishing tests based on Confucian texts as an entrance requirement into government service. The Han emperors appreciated the societal order which is a central concept of Confucianism. Confucianism would continue as the state religion until the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618 AD), when it was replaced by Buddhism. Neo-confucianism returned as the state religion sometime in the 10th century.States without any state religion
These states do not profess any state religion and attempt to treat all religions equally. Countries which officially decline to establish any religion include:
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- France
- India
- Japan
- Nepal
- New Zealand
- Philippines
- Romania
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Turkey
- United States of America
Established churches and former state churches in Europe
Note 1:
In 1967, the Albanian government made atheism the "state religion". This designation remained in effect until 1991.
Note 2: Finland's State Church was the Church of Sweden until 1809. As an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia 1809-1917, Finland retained the Lutheran State Church system, and a state church separate from Sweden, later named the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, was established. It was detached from the state as a separate judicial entity when the new church law came to force in 1870. After Finland had gained independence in 1917, religious freedom was declared in the constitution of 1919 and a separate law on religious freedom in 1922. Through this arrangement, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland lost its position as a state church but gained a constitutional status as a national church alongside with the Finnish Orthodox Church, whose position however is not codified in the constitution.
Former state churches in British North America
| Colony | Denomination | Disestablished1 |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Congregational | 1818 |
| Georgia | Church of England | |
| Massachusetts | Congregational | 18332 |
| New Brunswick | Church of England | |
| New Hampshire | Congregational | 17903 |
| Newfoundland | Church of England | |
| North Carolina | Church of England | 17764 |
| Nova Scotia | Church of England | 1850 |
| Prince Edward Island | Church of England | |
| South Carolina | Church of England | 1790 |
| Upper Canada | Church of England | 1854 |
| West Florida | Church of England | N/A 5 |
| East Florida | Church of England | N/A 6 |
| Vermont | Congregational | |
| Virginia | Church of England | 1786 |
| West Indies | Church of England | 1868 |
Note 1: In several colonies, the establishment ceased to exist in practice at the Revolution, about 1776; this is the date of legal abolition.
Note 2: The Congregational Church was the official established church of Massachusetts until 1833, but from 1780-1833 Massachusetts had a system which required every man to belong to a church, and permitted each church to tax its members, and did not require that it be a Congregational church.
Note 3: Until 1877 the New Hampshire Constitution required members of the State legislature to be of the Protestant religion.
Note 4: The North Carolina Constitution of 1776 disestablished the Anglican church, but until 1835 the NC Constitution allowed only protestants to hold public office. From 1835-1876 it allowed allowed only Christians (including Catholics) to hold public office. The current NC Constitution forbids only atheists from holding public office, and this provision is not enforced.
Note 5: Religious Tolerance for Catholics with an Established Church of England were policy in the former Spanish Colonies of East and West Florida while under British rule. East Florida was lost to Spain in 1781.
Note 6: Religious tolerance for Catholics with an established Church of England were policy in the former Spanish Colonies of East and West Florida while under British rule. East Florida was returned to Spain in 1783.
References
- McConnell, Michael W. "Establishment and Disestablishment at the Founding, Part I: Establishment of Religion" William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 44, 2003 pp 2105+ for United States
See also
Religious law | Religion and politics | Separation of church and state
Statskirke | Staatsreligion | Staatsgodsdienst | 国家宗教 | Statskirke | Religia państwowa | Valtionuskonto | Statsreligion | 國教
"State religion"