theocracy

Theocracy or ethiocracy is a form of autocracy or oligarchy in which one or more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities giving divine guidance to human intermediaries with executive, legislative or judicial power who manage the government's daily affairs.

AI overview

A theocracy is a system of government where religious leaders or authorities claim to rule on behalf of a deity or divine power, handling the day-to-day decisions of the state. It matters because it represents a form of rule where religious authority and political power are combined, which significantly shapes how laws are made and societies are governed.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of: form of government
Subclass of: political system
Image: Berruguete ordeal.jpg

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topic's main category: Category:Theocracy
described by source: Wikitólica
different from: Theocracy
has characteristic: clericalism
opposite of: state atheism
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
Commons category: Theocracy
has effect: 2025–2026 Iranian protests

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Encyclopedic overview

39 sections

Contents

Etymology
Definition
Current theocracies
Christian theocracies
Holy See
Mount Athos
Islamic theocracies
Afghanistan
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Jewish theocracies
Israel
Central Tibetan Administration
Change to Sikyong
States with official state religions
Historical Theocracies
Byzantine Empire
Caliphates
China
Deseret
Egypt
Florence
Israel
Japan
Mississippians
Mongolia
Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro
Polynesia
Protestant Theocracies
Quebec
Rome
Sumer
Tibet
Timurid and Mughal Empires
Travancore
See also
References
Further reading
External links

== Etymology == The word theocracy originates from the () meaning "the rule of God". This, in turn, derives from θεός (theos), meaning "god", and κρατέω (krateo), meaning "to rule". Thus the meaning of the word in Greek was "rule by god(s)" or human incarnation(s) of god(s).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “theocracy” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.