The Holy See, located in Vatican City, is another important example of a modern theocracy. Unlike the theocracies of Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which are based on Islam, the theocracy in Vatican City is based on Catholicism. Like Saudi Arabia, it functions as an absolute monarchy. All government positions are held by the clergy, which means that church and state are completely interconnected and inseparable. Theocratic forms of government have existed throughout history. Theocracies were known among ancient peoples, such as in Egypt and Tibet, where kings represented and even embodied divinity. (In Pharaonic Egypt, the king was considered a divine or semi-divine figure, ruled largely by priests.) This was also the case with early American civilizations such as the Maya, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Natchez. People can claim that they have the truth, that they are the chosen ones, and that their ordained religious leaders must be followed blindly. Their community gatherings of like-minded people are right, and everyone is wrong.
The “contemplative” and “active” styles of religious life are rarely completely isolated from each other. The “world” knocks at the doors of the monastery in every era. Popes and prelates sought the support of abbeys and convents to advance this or that ecclesial cause, from prayer for the Crusades to theological support for the eradication of heresy. Monarchs and nobles found ways to obtain favoritism and placement of one of their members in the systems of governance and election of religious life. Paradoxically, these attractions and achievements sometimes led monasticism to acquire considerable economic and political power (see religion: mobilization and power), whether that of the great medieval religious foundations (Grande Chartreuse, Cluny, Cîteaux, Monte Cassino) with their immense benefits and foundations; or the autonomous republic since 1052 of the influential monastery of Mount Athos in northern Greece; or the three centuries of state control assumed by the Dalai Lama, the chief abbot of Tibetan Buddhism; or the impact of the Senusi Muslim Brotherhood since 1837 on Sudan and the Eastern Sahara. There is a continuous tradition of criticizing the secular weaknesses and contradictions of monastic elites over the centuries, from Vigilantius (fourth century) to Chaucer, Erasmus, Luther and Calvin to Voltaire and modern anticlerical republicanism around the world. Liberation theology and a stream of contemporary novels and films directed against the “New World theocracies” (Paraguayan reductions) and colonial “foreign missions” support the iconoclastic suspicion of monastic imperialism. An Islamic Republic is the name of several states officially governed by Islamic laws, including the Islamic Republics of Iran, Pakistan and Mauritania. Pakistan first adopted the title under the 1956 constitution.
Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran regained it after the 1979 Iranian revolution, which overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty. Afghanistan took it back in 2004 after the fall of the Taliban government. Despite similar names, governments and laws vary greatly from country to country. Iran is a good example of a government that combines elements of a theocracy and a democracy. The head of government is called the “supreme leader” who also serves as the religious leader. Once in office, the Supreme Leader serves for life. In contrast, Iran elects a president for a four-year term.
The president has considerable influence over politics, but the supreme leader usually has the final say. Followers of theocracies often point to the following advantages of this style of government. Roman emperors, including Augustus Caesar and Julius Caesar, often claimed descent from Roman gods. However, some scholars do not consider Rome a true theocracy until Emperor Constantine, who reigned from 306 to 337 AD. Constantine converted to Christianity and made his new faith the official religion of the empire. He believed that God had chosen him to lead the Roman Empire to Christianity and protect the Church, and that his mission was to spread Christianity by expanding the Roman Empire. Although religion may occupy a prominent place in public life in many countries, this does not necessarily make these states theocracies. Even when politicians invoke religious ideas, teachings, or texts when discussing political issues, this does not make them theocratic leaders.
Theocratic government usually involves privileging a particular religious belief system (Christianity, Islam, etc.) or clerical group (mullahs, Shinto priests, Roman Catholic Church) over others. This privileged position is often enshrined in the constitution or other fundamental documents of the State. Among the possible explanations for the rise of radical and sometimes revolutionary political expressions of Islam, political scientist Samuel Huntington postulated that the end of the Cold War would lead to a “clash of civilizations” in which culture and religious values would be the new axis of the fundamental global conflict. This interpretation has been supported by the analysis of cross-national value surveys (Inglehart and Welzel, 2005; Welzel, 2013), which revised modernization theory to focus on the ways in which national cultural traditions have shaped attitudes and values toward emancipation. Others have seen the Islamist phenomenon fueled by several factors, including a backlash against globalization and the corresponding spread of Western culture; moral outrage against corrupt and oppressive regimes in the Arab world; frustration among educated and unemployed youth; and a rejection of US hegemonic claims in general and Middle East policy in particular. Distinguish between local, regional and national authorities. Identify their departments (e.g. work, education, healthcare). Do they facilitate information literacy? If so, how? If not, why? The Central Tibetan Administration, colloquially known as the Tibetan Government in Exile, is a Tibetan organization in exile with an internal structure similar to that of the State. According to its charter, the position of head of state of the central Tibetan administration belongs ex officio to the current Dalai Lama, a religious hierarch. In this regard, it continues the traditions of the previous government of Tibet, led by the Dalai Lamas and their ministers, with a specific role reserved for a class of monastic officials.
They modeled their decision-making process according to the Pashtun Tribal Council (jirga), as well as what they believed to be the primitive Islamic model. The discussion was followed by the formation of a consensus by the “believers”. [28] Before the conquest of Kabul, there was talk of withdrawing as soon as a government of “good Muslims” took power and law and order were restored. Understand the political platforms of government officials and their opponents. Compare what they say on one topic with what they have said on other topics: is there consistent reasoning? Admittedly, not all politicians fully follow the program of their affiliation, but why do some go astray? Theocracies also often attempt to impose personal morality through legislation. Most states will restrict activities or practices that harm their citizens, even if that harm is self-inflicted – such as drug or alcohol abuse. Theocracies, on the other hand, tend to create laws that affect almost every aspect of a citizen`s personal and private life, including their sex life and reproductive practices. Theocracies could also restrict access to movies, books, or music that are believed to not conform to religious ideals. In 1849, the Saints established a secular government in Utah, although many church leaders retained their temporal positions of power. Mormons have also asked Congress to admit Deseret as a state in the Union. Under the Compromise of 1850, however, the Utah Territory was created and Brigham Young was appointed governor.
In this situation, Young was still the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the secular government of Utah. Proponents of theocratic government would likely be able to name several perceived advantages of theocracy, while critics will obviously be able to point out shortcomings. The following list of advantages and disadvantages is only intended to give an idea of the arguments commonly advanced for or against theocracy, and is not an objective measure of the value of a theocratic government. Unified religious rule in Buddhist Tibet began in 1642, when the fifth Dalai Lama allied with the military might of the Mongol Gushri Khan to consolidate political power and control of his office as head of the Gelug school. [52] This form of government is called the dual system of government.