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state religion
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{{Short description|Religion or creed endorsed by the state}}{{More citations needed|date=November 2021}}{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}{{use British English|date=April 2024}}File:State Religions.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|Confessional states{{efn|Bhutan,BOOK,www.academia.edu/4109874, The Inscrutable Guardian of Thunder and Silence: the Dragon (Druk) in Himalayan Symbology, Mauritania,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mauritania/, Mauritania, CIA World Factbook, 22 November 2021, Western Sahara (via Sahrawi Arab Democratic RepublicBOOK, Shelley, Toby,books.google.com/books?id=tXFo3b-07NgC, Endgame in the Western Sahara: What Future for Africa’s Last Colony, 2004, Zed Books, 978-1-84277-341-3, en, 174, and Morocco, which divide control), Morocco,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/, Morocco, CIA World Factbook, 23 November 2021, Tunisia,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tunisia/, Tunisia, CIA World Factbook, 24 November 2021, Egypt,WEB, 2013-02-09, The 2012 Constitution of Egypt, Nivien Saleh,niviensaleh.info/constitution-egypt-2012-translation/, 2023-01-02, Nivien Saleh, en-US, Article 2, England,United Kingdom’s Constitution of 1215 with Amandments through 2013 Jordan,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/jordan/, Jordan, CIA World Factbook, 24 November 2021, Iraq,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iraq/, Iraq, CIA World Factbook, 22 November 2021, Pakistan,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/pakistan/, Pakistan, CIA World Factbook, 30 November 2021, Bangladesh,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bermuda/, Bangladesh, CIA World Factbook, 16 November 2021, United Arab Emirates,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-arab-emirates/, United Arab Emirates, CIA World Factbook, 23 November 2021, Oman,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/oman/, Oman, CIA World Factbook, 30 November 2021, Yemen,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/yemen/, Yemen, CIA World Factbook, 24 November 2021, Maldives,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/maldives/, Maldives, CIA World Factbook, 23 November 2021, Iran,WEB, Iranian Constitution,www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/ir00000_.html, 2023-01-02, www.servat.unibe.ch, en, Article 12, The official religion of Iran is Islam and the Twelver Ja’fari school, ..., Algeria,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/algeria/, Algeria, CIA World Factbook, 18 November 2021, Saudi Arabia,Basic Law of Governance (Chapter one, Article one), saudiembassy.net, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a sovereign Arab Islamic State. Its religion is Islam. Its constitution is Almighty God’s Book, The Holy Qur’an, and the Sunna (Traditions) of the Prophet (PBUH). Arabic is the language of the Kingdom. The City of Riyadh is the capital.” Sri Lanka,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sri-lanka/, Sri Lanka, CIA World Factbook, 3 October 2022, Afghanistan,The Constitution of Afghanistan (Chapter one, Article two), afghan-web.com Somalia,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/somalia/, Somalia, CIA World Factbook, 19 November 2021, Malaysia,Federal Constitution, agc.gov.my Brunei,BOOK, ((International Business Publications, USA)), Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’Izzaddin Waddaulah Handbook,books.google.com/books?id=0EqtDwAAQBAJ, 2007, Int’l Business Publications, 978-1-4330-0444-5, 133, Greece,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/greece/, Greece, CIA World Factbook, 29 November 2021, Denmark,WEB,www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/denmark/, Denmark, CIA World Factbook, 30 November 2021, Costa Rica,Title VI, Article 75 of The Constitution of Costa Rica, costaricalaw.com. Zambia.WEB,www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Zambia_2009.pdf?lang=en, Zambia’s Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2009, CIA World Factbook, See also (:File:State Religions.svg#Notes|here).}}{| width=“100%”
{{legend|#1600FF|Christianity (unspecified doctrines)}}{{legend|#04E3F1|Roman Catholicism}}{{legend|#0774F1|Eastern Orthodoxy}}{{legend|#062A87|Protestantism}}{{legend|#158706|Islam (unspecified doctrines)}}{{legend|#0F5D05|Sunni Islam}}{{legend|#2FEB16|Shi’a Islam}}{{legend|#EBCF16|BuddhismBuddhismA state religion (also called official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not a secular state, is not necessarily a theocracy. State religions are official or government-sanctioned establishments of a religion, but the state does not need to be under the control of the clergy (as in a theocracy), nor is the state-sanctioned religion necessarily under the control of the state.Official religions have been known throughout human history in almost all types of cultures, reaching into the Ancient Near East and prehistory. The relation of religious cult and the state was discussed by the ancient Latin scholar Marcus Terentius Varro, under the term of theologia civilis ({{Literal translation|civic theology}}). The first state-sponsored Christian church was the Armenian Apostolic Church, established in 301 CE.The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. p. 268 by Cambridge University Press, Gale Group, C.W. Dugmore In Christianity, as the term church is typically applied to a place of worship for Christians or organizations incorporating such ones, the term state church is associated with Christianity as sanctioned by the government, historically the state church of the Roman Empire in the last centuries of the Empire’s existence, and is sometimes used to denote a specific modern national branch of Christianity. Closely related to state churches are ecclesiae, which are similar but carry a more minor connotation.In the Middle East, the majority of states with a predominantly Muslim population have Islam as their official religion, though the degree of religious restrictions on citizens’ everyday lives varies by country. Rulers of Saudi Arabia use religious power, while Iran’s secular presidents are supposed to follow the decisions of religious authorities since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Turkey, which also has Muslim-majority population, became a secular country after Atatürk’s Reforms, although unlike the Russian Revolution of the same time period, it did not result in the adoption of state atheism.The degree to which an official national religion is imposed upon citizens by the state in contemporary society varies considerably; from high as in Saudi Arabia and Iran, to none at all as in Greenland, Denmark, England, Iceland, and Greece (in Europe, the state religion might be called in English, the established church.)

Types

The degree and nature of state backing for denomination or creed designated as a state religion can vary. It can range from mere endorsement (with or without 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.BOOK, Shiffrin, Steven H., The Religious Left and Church-State Relations, 26 August 2012, Princeton University Press, 978-1-4008-3383-2, en, 160–161, 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 in 1555. In England, Henry VIII broke with Rome in 1534, being declared the Supreme Head of the Church of England,{{efn|The headship was administrative and jurisdictional but did not include the potestas ordinis (the right to preach, ordain, administer the sacraments and rites of the Church which were reserved to the clergy).Bray, Gerald. Documents of the English Reformation James Clarke & Cº (1994), p. 114}} the official religion of England continued to be “Catholicism without the Pope” until after his death in 1547.Neill, Stephen. Anglicanism Penguin (1960), p. 61In some cases, an administrative region may sponsor and fund a set of religious denominations; such is the case in Alsace-Moselle in France under its local law, following the pre-1905 French concordatory legal system and patterns in Germany.The concerned religious communities are the dioceses of Metz and of Strasbourg, the Lutheran EPCAAL and the Reformed EPRAL and the three Israelite consistories in Colmar, Metz and Strasbourg.

State churches

File:Elizabeth II national mourning period - 04.jpg|thumb|upright|Westminster Abbey is responsible directly to the British monarch. The Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandA state church (or “established church“) is a state religion established by a state for use exclusively by that state. In the case of a state church, the state has absolute control over the church, but in the case of a state religion, the church is ruled by an exterior body; for example, in the case of Catholicism, the Vatican has control over the church. As of 2024, there are only five state churches left.WEB, ((The Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica )), Established church,www.britannica.com/topic/established-church, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 January 2024, en,

Disestablishment

{{Further|Secular state}}Disestablishment is the process of repealing a church’s status as an organ of the state. In a state where an established church is in place, opposition to such a move may be described as antidisestablishmentarianism. This word is, however, most usually associated with the debate on the position of the Anglican churches in the British Isles: the Church of Ireland (disestablished in 1871), the Church in Wales (disestablished in 1920), and the Church of England itself (which remains established in England).{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Current states with a state religion

Buddhism

Governments where Buddhism, either a specific form of it, or Buddhism as a whole, has been established as an official religion:

Article 3, Spiritual Heritage #Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Bhutan, which promotes the principles and values of peace, non-violence, compassion and tolerance. #The Druk Gyalpo is the protector of all religions in Bhutan. #It shall be the responsibility of religious institutions and personalities to promote the spiritual heritage of the country while also ensuring that religion remains separate from politics in Bhutan. Religious institutions and personalities shall remain above politics. #The Druk Gyalpo shall, on the recommendation of the Five Lopons, appoint a learned and respected monk ordained in accordance with the Druk-lu, blessed with the nine qualities of a spiritual master and accomplished in ked-dzog, as the Je Khenpo. #His Holiness the Je Khenpo shall, on the recommendation of the Dratshang Lhentshog, appoint monks blessed with the nine qualities of a spiritual master and accomplished in ked-dzog as the Five Lopons. #The members of the Dratshang Lhentshog shall comprise:{{pad|2em}}(a) The Je Khenpo as Chairman;{{pad|2em}}(b) The Five Lopons of the Zhung Dratshang; and{{pad|2em}}(c) The Secretary of the Dratshang Lhentshog who is a civil servant. #The Zhung Dratshang and Rabdeys shall continue to receive adequate funds and other facilities from the State.WEB, Bhutan’s Constitution of 2008,constituteproject.org/constitution/Bhutan_2008.pdf?lang=en, constituteproject.org/, 29 October 2017,
In some countries, Buddhism is not recognized as a state religion, but holds special status:
  • {{flagicon|Thailand}} Thailand: Article 67 of the Thai constitution: “The State should support and protect Buddhism”. In supporting and protecting Buddhism, the State should promote and support education and dissemination of dharmic principles of Theravada Buddhism, and shall have measures and mechanisms to prevent Buddhism from being undermined in any form. The State should also encourage Buddhists to participate in implementing such measures or mechanisms.WEB, Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand,www.constitutionnet.org/sites/default/files/2017-05/CONSTITUTION%2BOF%2BTHE%2BKINGDOM%2BOF%2BTHAILAND%2B%28B.E.%2B2560%2B%282017%29%29.pdf, ConstitutionNet, 29 October 2017, Section 67. The State should support and protect Buddhism [...] In supporting and protecting Buddhism, [...] the State should promote and support education and dissemination of dharmic principles of Theravada Buddhism [...], and shall have measures and mechanisms to prevent Buddhism from being undermined in any form. The State should also encourage Buddhists to participate in implementing such measures or mechanisms.,
  • {{flagicon|Laos}} Laos: According to the Lao Constitution, Buddhism is given special privilege in the country. The state respects and protects all the lawful activities of Buddhism.WEB, Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2003,constituteproject.org/constitution/Laos_2003.pdf?lang=en, constituteproject.org, 29 October 2017, Article 9: The State respects and protects all lawful activities of Buddhists and of followers of other religions, [and] mobilises and encourages Buddhist monks and novices as well as the priests of other religions to participate in activities that are beneficial to the country and people.,
  • {{flagicon|Kalmykia}} Kalmykia (Russia): The local Government supports Buddhism and also encourages Buddhist teachings and traditions. It also builds various Buddhist temples and sites. Various efforts are taken by the Government for the revival of Buddhism in the republic.JOURNAL, Sinclair, Tara, 2008, Tibetan Reform and the Kalmyk Revival of Buddhism,www.jstor.org/stable/23615096, Inner Asia, 10, 2, 241–259, 10.1163/000000008793066713, 23615096, 1464-8172, WEB, Buddhism in Russia: challenges and choices in the post-Soviet period,www.researchgate.net/publication/273961382, 2021-02-03, ResearchGate, en, WEB, Kalmykia: few complaints over Kalmykia’s state support for Buddhism,english.religion.info/2003/04/15/kalmykia-few-complaints-over-kalmykias-state-support-for-buddhism/, 2021-02-03, english.religion.info,

Christianity

The following states recognize some form of Christianity as their state or official religion or recognize a special status for it (by denomination):

Non-denominational Christianity

Catholicism

Jurisdictions where Catholicism has been established as a state or official religion: Jurisdictions that give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Roman Catholicism without establishing it as the State religion:

Eastern Orthodoxy

  • {{flag|Greece}}: The Church of Greece is recognized by the Greek Constitution as the prevailing religion in GreeceWEB, Constitution of Greece,www.hri.org/docs/syntagma/artcl25.htmlA3, 2023-01-02, www.hri.org, Section II Relations of Church and State: Article 3, and is the only country in the world where Eastern Orthodoxy is clearly recognized as a state religion.BOOK, Enyedi, Zsolt, Madeley, John T.S., Church and State in Contemporary Europe, 2004, Routledge, 978-1135761417, 228, Both as a state church and as a national church, the Orthodox Church of Greece has a lot in common with Protestant state churches, and even with Catholicism in some countries., BOOK, Meyendorff, John, The Orthodox Church: Its Past and Its Role in the World Today, 1981, St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 978-0913836811, 155, Greece therefore is today the only country where the Orthodox Church remains a state church and plays a dominant role in the life of the country., However, this provision does not give exclusivity of worship to the Church of Greece, while all other religions are recognized as equal and may be practiced freely.WEB, Constitution of Greece,www.hri.org/docs/syntagma/artcl25.htmlA13, 2023-01-02, www.hri.org, Part Two Individual and Social Rights: Article 13,
The jurisdictions below give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Eastern Orthodoxy, but without establishing it as the state religion:
  • {{flag|Bulgaria}}: In the Bulgarian Constitution, Eastern Orthodoxy is recognized as “the traditional religion” of the Bulgarian people, but the state itself remains secular.WEB,www.parliament.bg/en/const, The Bulgarian Constitution, Parliament of Bulgaria, 20 December 2011,
  • {{flag|Cyprus}}: The Constitution of Cyprus states: “The Autocephalous Greek-Orthodox Church of Cyprus shall continue to have the exclusive right of regulating and administering its own internal affairs and property in accordance with the Holy Canons and its Charter in force for the time being and the Greek Communal Chamber shall not act inconsistently with such right.“WEB,www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Cyprus_2013.pdf?lang=en, Cyprus’s Constitution of 1960 with Amendments through 2013, Constitution Project, {{efn|The Constitution also states that “Any matter relating to divorce, judicial separation or restitution of conjugal rights or to family relations of the members of the Greek-Orthodox Church, shall be cognizable by family courts each of which is composed: For a divorce trial, of three judges, one of which is a lawyer ecclesiastical officer appointed by the Greek Orthodox Church and presides over the Court and the other two of high professional and moral standard belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church are appointed by the Supreme Court among lawyers. If no ecclesiastical officer is appointed as above, the Supreme Court appoints the President of the Court as well.“}}
  • {{flag|Finland}}: Both the Finnish Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland are “national churches”.WEB,finland.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=160099&nodeid=41800&culture=en-US, The Church in Finland today, Salla Korpela, May 2005, Finland Promotion Board; Produced by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Communications and Culture,
  • {{flag|Georgia}}: The Georgian Orthodox Church has a constitutional agreement with the state, the constitution recognizing “the special role of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia in the history of Georgia and its independence from the state”.Constitution of Georgia Article 9 (1&2) and 73 (1a{{sup|1}}) (See also Concordat of 2002)

Protestantism

The following states recognize some form of Protestantism as their state or official religion:

The Commonwealth

Anglicanism

The Anglican Church of England is the established church in England as well as all three of the Crown Dependencies:

Calvinism

  • {{flag|Scotland}}: The Church of Scotland is the national church, but not the United Kingdom as a whole.WEB, 2010-02-22, Our structure,www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/our-structure, 2021-04-07, The Church of Scotland, en, Whilst it is the national church, it ‘is not State controlled’ and the monarch is not the ‘supreme governor’ as in the Church of England.
  • {{flag|Tuvalu}}: The Church of Tuvalu is the state religion, although in practice this merely entitles it to “the privilege of performing special services on major national events”.WEB,www.refworld.org/docid/4cf2d05cc.html, Refworld – 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom – Tuvalu, United Nations High Commissioner for, Refugees, 23 February 2017, The Constitution of Tuvalu guarantees freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice, the freedom to change religion, the right not to receive religious instruction at school or to attend religious ceremonies at school, and the right not to “take an oath or make an affirmation that is contrary to his religion or belief”.Constitution of Tuvalu, article 23.

Nordic Countries

Lutheranism

Jurisdictions where a Lutheran church has been fully or partially established as a state recognized religion include the Nordic States. Jurisdictions that give various degrees of recognition in their constitutions to Lutheranism without establishing it as the state religion:
  • {{flag|Finland}}: The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has a special relationship with the Finnish state, its internal structure being described in a special law, the Church Act.WEB, LL.M., Prof. Dr. Axel Tschentscher, Finland Constitution,servat.unibe.ch/icl/fi00000_.htmlS076_, 2024-04-02, International Constitutional Law (ICL), en, Section 76, The Church Act, The Church Act can be amended only by a decision of the synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and subsequent ratification by the Parliament of Finland. The Church Act is protected by the Constitution of Finland and the state cannot change the Church Act without changing the constitution. The church has the power to tax its members. The state collects these taxes for the church, for a fee. On the other hand, the church is required to give a burial place for everyone in its graveyards. The President of Finland also decides the themes for intercession days. The church does not consider itself a state church, as the Finnish state does not have the power to influence its internal workings or its theology, although it has a veto in those changes of the internal structure which require changing the Church Act. Neither does the Finnish state accord any precedence to Lutherans or the Lutheran faith in its own acts.
  • {{flag|Sweden}}: The Church of Sweden was the state church of Sweden between 1527 when King Gustav Vasa broke all ties with Rome and 2000 when the state officially became secular. Much like in Finland, it does have a special relation to the Swedish state unlike any other religious organizations. For example, there is a special law that regulates certain aspects of the churchWEB, Riksdagsförvaltningen, Lag (1998:1591) om Svenska kyrkan Svensk författningssamling 1998:1998:1591 t.o.m. SFS 2009:1234 – Riksdagen,www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-19981591-om-svenska-kyrkan_sfs-1998-1591, 2021-06-23, www.riksdagen.se, sv, and the members of the royal family are required to belong to it in order to have a claim to the line of succession. A majority of the population still belongs to the Church of Sweden.WEB, Riksdagsförvaltningen, Successionsordning (1810:0926); Svensk författningssamling 1810:1810:0926 – Riksdagen,www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/successionsordning-18100926_sfs-1810-0926, 2021-06-23, www.riksdagen.se, sv,

Other/mixed

  • {{flag|Armenia}}: The Armenian Apostolic Church has a constitutional agreement with the State: “The Republic of Armenia shall recognise the exclusive mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, as a national church, in the spiritual life of the Armenian people, in the development of their national culture and preservation of their national identity.“WEB,www.parliament.am/parliament.php?id=constitution&lang=eng, National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, parliament.am,
  • {{flag|Dominican Republic}}: The constitution of the Dominican Republic specifies that there is no state church and provides for freedom of religion and belief. A concordat with the Holy See designates Catholicism as the official religion and extends special privileges to the Catholic Church not granted to other religious groups. These include the legal recognition of church law, use of public funds to underwrite some church expenses, and complete exoneration from customs duties.WEB, 2011 Report on International Religious Freedom – Dominican Republic,www.refworld.org/docid/502105c67d.html, 2023-01-02, Refworld, en,
  • {{flag|Haiti}}: While Catholicism has not been the state religion since 1987, a 19th-century concordat with the Holy See continues to confer preferential treatment to the Catholic Church, in the form of stipends for clergy and financial support to churches and religious schools. The Catholic Church also retains the right to appoint certain amounts of clergy in Haiti without the government’s consent.WEB,2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90257.htm, Haiti, State.gov, 2007-09-14, 2014-01-04, WEB, International Religious Freedom Report for 2015,2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2017&dlid=281080, 2023-01-02, US State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor,
  • {{flag|Hungary}}: The preamble to the Hungarian Constitution of 2011 describes Hungary as “part of Christian Europe” and acknowledges “the role of Christianity in preserving nationhood”, while Article VII provides that “the State shall cooperate with the Churches for community goals.” However, the constitution also guarantees freedom of religion and separation of church and state.Hungary’s Constitution of 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  • {{flag|Nicaragua}}: The Nicaraguan Constitution of 1987 states that the country has no official religion, but defines “Christian values” as one of the “principles of the Nicaraguan nation”.NEWS,www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Nicaragua_2014.pdf?lang=en, Nicaragua’s Constitution of 1987 with Amendments through 2014, Constitute Project, 21 July 2022,
  • {{flag|Portugal}}: Although Church and State are formally separate, the Catholic Church in Portugal still receives certain privileges.WEB,www.concordatwatch.eu/showtopic.php?org_id=1361&kb_header_id=4131, Concordat Watch – Portugal &124; Concordat (2004) : text, concordatwatch.eu,

Islam

Many Muslim-majority countries have constitutionally established Islam, or a specific form of it, as a state religion. Proselytism (converting people away from Islam) is often illegal in such states.WEB, Saudi Arabia imposes death sentence for Bible smuggling,deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/2014/11/saudi-arabia-imposes-death-sentence-for.html, deathpenaltynews, 30 November 2014, WEB,www.christianpost.com/news/saudi-arabias-new-law-imposes-death-sentence-for-bible-smugglers-131352/#!, Saudi Arabia’s New Law Imposes Death Sentence for Bible Smugglers?, The Christian Post, 18 December 2014, 5 March 2015, WEB,www.handsoffcain.info/news/index.php?iddocumento=18309927, Saidi Arabia Imposes Death Sentence for Bible Smuggling, 5 March 2015, dead,www.handsoffcain.info/news/index.php?iddocumento=18309927," title="web.archive.org/web/20160408000107www.handsoffcain.info/news/index.php?iddocumento=18309927,">web.archive.org/web/20160408000107www.handsoffcain.info/news/index.php?iddocumento=18309927, 8 April 2016, Sheen J. Freedom of Religion and Belief: A World Report. (Routledge, 1997) p. 452. In some countries, Islam is not recognized as a state religion, but holds special status:
  • {{flagicon|Tajikistan}} Tajikistan: Although there is a separation of religion from politics, certain aspects of law also privilege Islam. One such law declares “Islam to be a traditional religion of Tajikistan, with more rights and privileges given to Islamic organizations than to religious groups of non-Muslim origin”.WEB,www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2009-04-03/tajikistan-new-law-on-religious-organizations/, Tajikistan: New Law on Religious Organizations, Library of Congress,
  • {{flagicon|Tunisia}} Tunisia: Article 5 of the Constitution declares that “Tunisia is part of the Muslim world, and the state alone must work to achieve the goals of pure Islam in preserving honourable life of religious freedom”. Although, Islam has been given special privileges by the Constitution, though it is no longer the state religion.WEB,groundreport.in/why-tunisia-abandoning-islam-as-a-state-religion/, Why Tunisia abandoning Islam as a state religion?, GR, 24 June 2022, WEB, Factbox: What’s in Tunisia’s new constitution?, Reuters,www.reuters.com/world/africa/whats-tunisias-new-constitution-2022-07-25/, 9 December 2022,
  • {{flagicon|Turkmenistan}} Turkmenistan: The Constitution claims to uphold a secular system in which religious and state institutions are separate. However, in Turkmenistan, the state actively privileges a form of traditional Islam. The culture, including Islam, is a key facet, contributes to the Turkmen national identity. The state encourages the conceptualization of “Turkmen Islam”.WEB,isdp.eu/publication/religion-and-the-secular-state-in-turkmenistan/, Religion and the Secular State in Turkmenistan - Silk Road Paper, Institute for Security and Development Policy,
  • {{flagicon|Uzbekistan}} Uzbekistan: Since independence, Islam has taken on an altogether new role in the nation-building process in Uzbekistan. The government affords Islam in special status and declared it as a national heritage and a moral guideline.JOURNAL,journals.openedition.org/asiecentrale/1527, Islam and Secular State in Uzbekistan: State Control of Religion and its Implications for the Understanding of Secularity, Henrik, Ohlsson, 12 December 2011, Cahiers d’Asie centrale, 19–20, 485–493, journals.openedition.org,

Judaism

{{See also|Jewish state}}
  • {{flag|Israel}} is defined in several of its laws as a “Jewish and democratic state” (medina yehudit ve-demokratit). However, the term “Jewish” is a polyseme that can describe the Jewish people as either an ethnic or a religious group. The debate about the meaning of the term “Jewish” and its legal and social applications is one of the most profound issues with which Israeli society deals. The problem of the status of religion in Israel, even though it is relevant to all religions, usually refers to the status of Judaism in Israeli society. Thus, even though from a constitutional point of view Judaism is not the state religion in Israel, its status nevertheless determines relations between religion and state and the extent to which religion influences the political center.Trouble in Utopia: The Overburdened Polity of Israel, by Dan Horowitz and Moshe Lissak, pp. 51–52 The Law of Return, passed on 5 July 1950, gives the global Jewish diaspora the right to relocate to Israel and acquire Israeli citizenship. Section - (1) of that law declares that “Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an Oleh“(’immigrant’). In the Law of Return, the State of Israel gave effect to the Zionist movement’s “credo” which called for the establishment of Israel as a Sovereign Jewish state with Democratic setups, ideals and values.International Commission of Jurists
www.icj.org › 2013/06PDFThe Law of Return, 5710-1950 1. Right of “aliya” Every Jew has the ...The State of Israel supports religious institutions, particularly Orthodox Jewish ones, and recognizes the “religious communities” as carried over from those recognized under the British Mandate—in turn derived from the pre-1917 Ottoman system of millets. These are Jewish and Christian (Eastern Orthodox, Latin Catholic, Gregorian-Armenian, Armenian-Catholic, Syriac Catholic, Chaldean, Melkite Catholic, Maronite Catholic, and Syriac Orthodox). The fact that the Muslim population was not defined as a religious community does not affect the rights of the Muslim community to practice their faith. At the end of the period covered by the 2009 U.S. International Religious Freedom Report, several of these denominations were pending official government recognition; however, the Government has allowed adherents of not officially recognized groups the freedom to practice. In 1961, legislation gave Muslim Shari’a courts exclusive jurisdiction in matters of personal status. Three additional religious communities have subsequently been recognized by Israeli law: the Druze (prior under Islamic jurisdiction), the Evangelical Episcopal Church, and followers of the Baháʼí Faith.WEB, 2009-10-29, Israel and the occupied territories,www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127349.htm, 2023-01-02,www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127349.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20091029164133www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127349.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20091029164133www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127349.htm, 29 October 2009, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor,

Political religions

In some countries, there is a political ideology sponsored by the government that may be called political religion.BOOK, Gentile, Emilio, 2006, 2001, Le religioni della politica. Fra democrazie e totalitarismi, Politics as Religion, Princeton University Press,

Multiple religion recognition

publisher= Asian News PUBLISHER= BBC ACCESS-DATE=2013-11-25, Islam in Russia is recognized under the law and by Russian political leaders as one of Russia’s traditional religions, Islam is a part of Russian historical heritage, and is subsidized by the Russian government.BOOK, Bell, I, Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia,books.google.com/books?id=EPP3ti4hysUC&pg=PA47, 2007-12-27, 978-1-85743-137-7, 2002, Taylor & Francis, The position of Islam as a major Russian religion, alongside Orthodox Christianity, dates from the time of Catherine the Great, who sponsored Islamic clerics and scholarship through the Orenburg Assembly.Azamatov, Danil D. (1998), “The Muftis of the Orenburg Spiritual Assembly in the 18th and 19th Centuries: The Struggle for Power in Russia’s Muslim Institution”, in Anke von Kugelgen; Michael Kemper; Allen J. Frank, Muslim culture in Russia and Central Asia from the 18th to the early 20th centuries, vol. 2: Inter-Regional and Inter-Ethnic Relations, Berlin: Klaus Schwarz Verlag, pp. 355–384,

, 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom – Afghanistan
, United States Department of State
, 19 September 2008
,www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/48d5cbf4c.html
, 2 July 2009, whilst other sects of Islam with a sizeable minority such as Alevism are not being regulated nor being funded by the directoratedergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/808395
In addition, the Treaty of Lausanne explicitly guarantees the security and protection of both Greek and Armenian Orthodox Christian minorities and the Turkish-Jews. Their religious institutions are being recognized officially by the statelaw.yale.edu/sites/default/files/area/center/schell/patriacharte.pdfhttps://rm.coe.int/native/09000016804e1f8e

Former state religions

{{see also|Secular state}}

Roman religion and Christianity

In Rome, the office of Pontifex Maximus came to be reserved for the Emperor, who was occasionally 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.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}In 311, Emperor Galerius, on his deathbed, declared a religious indulgence to Christians throughout the Roman Empire, focusing on the ending of anti-Christian persecution. Constantine I and Licinius, the two Augusti, by the Edict of Milan of 313, enacted a law allowing religious freedom to everyone within the Roman Empire. Furthermore, the Edict of Milan cited that Christians may openly practice their religion unmolested and unrestricted, and provided that properties taken from Christians be returned to them unconditionally. Although the Edict of Milan allowed religious freedom throughout the Empire, it did not abolish nor disestablish the Roman state cult (Roman polytheistic paganism). The Edict of Milan was written in such a way as to implore the blessings of the deity.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}Constantine called up the First Council of Nicaea in 325, although he was not a baptized Christian until years later. Despite enjoying considerable popular support, Christianity was still not the official state religion in Rome, although it was in some neighboring states such as Armenia, Iberia, and Aksum.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}Roman religion (Neoplatonic Hellenism) was restored for a time by the Emperor Julian from 361 to 363. Julian does not appear to have reinstated the persecutions of the earlier Roman emperors.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}Catholic Christianity, as opposed to Arianism and other ideologies deemed heretical, was declared to be the state religion of the Roman Empire on 27 February 380WEB, The Theodosian Code,www.ancienttexts.org/library/latinlibrary/theod.html, The Latin Library at Ad Fontes Academy, Ad Fontes Academy, 2006-11-23, by the decree De fide catolica of Emperor Theodosius I.WEB, Theodosian Code XVI.i.2,www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/theodcodeXVI.html, Medieval Sourcebook: Banning of Other Religions, Paul, Halsall, June 1997, Fordham University, 2006-11-23, 27 February 2007,www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/theodcodeXVI.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20070227120555www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/theodcodeXVI.html,">web.archive.org/web/20070227120555www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/theodcodeXVI.html, dead,

Han dynasty Confucianism

In China, the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) advocated Confucianism as the de facto state religion, establishing tests based on Confucian texts as an entrance requirement into government service—although, in fact, the “Confucianism” advocated by the Han emperors may be more properly termed a sort of Confucian Legalism or “State Confucianism”. This sort of Confucianism continued to be regarded by the emperors, with a few notable exceptions, as a form of state religion from this time until the collapse of the Chinese monarchy in 1912. Note, however, there is a debate over whether Confucianism (including Neo-Confucianism) is a religion or purely a philosophical system.WEB,www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln471/Confucian%20religiosity%20bib.htm, Sources on Confucian religiosity,

Yuan dynasty Buddhism

During the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China (1271–1368 CE), Tibetan Buddhism was established as the de facto state religion by the Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan dynasty. The top-level department and government agency known as the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Xuanzheng Yuan) was set up in Khanbaliq (modern Beijing) to supervise Buddhist monks throughout the empire. Since Kublai Khan only esteemed the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, other religions became less important. Before the end of the Yuan dynasty, 14 leaders of the Sakya sect had held the post of Imperial Preceptor (Dishi), thereby enjoying special power.History of civilizations of Central Asia.: A.D. 750 to the end of the fifteenth century. Part two: The achievements, p. 59

Golden Horde and Ilkhanate

The Mongol rulers Ghazan of Ilkhanate and Uzbeg of Golden Horde converted to Islam in 1295 CE because of the Muslim Mongol emir Nawruz and in 1313 CE because of Sufi Bukharan sayyid and sheikh Ibn Abdul Hamid respectively. Their official favoring of Islam as the state religion coincided with a marked attempt to bring the regime closer to the non-Mongol majority of the regions they ruled. In Ilkhanate, Christian and Jewish subjects lost their equal status with Muslims and again had to pay the poll tax; Buddhists had the starker choice of conversion or expulsion.Medieval Persia 1040–1797, David Morgan p. 72

Former state churches in British North America

Other states

Established churches and former state churches

{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2023}}{| class=“sortable wikitable”
! Country! Church! Denomination! Disestablished
Duchy of Anhalt>Anhalt Evangelical State Church of Anhalt united and uniting churches >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Armenia >Armenian Apostolic Church >Oriental Orthodox >| 1921
Austria >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Federal Constitutional Law (Austrian act)>1918
Grand Duchy of Baden >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Evangelical Church of Baden>United Evangelical Protestant State Church of Baden united and uniting churches >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Kingdom of Bavaria >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria>Protestant State Church in the Kingdom of Bavaria right of the Rhine Lutheran and Reformed churches >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Evangelical Church of the Palatinate>United Protestant Evangelical Christian Church of the Palatinate united and uniting churches >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Barbados >Church of England >Anglican >| 1968
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Constitution of Bolivia>2009
Brazilian Laws – the Federal Constitution – The Organization of State. V-brazil.com. Retrieved 5 May 2012. Brazil had Roman Catholicism as the state religion from the country’s Independence of Brazil, in 1822, until the fall of the Brazilian Empire. The República Velha>new Republican government passed, in 1890, Decree 119-A DECRETO 119-A>URL=HTTP://WWW.PLANALTO.GOV.BR/CCIVIL_03/DECRETO/1851-1899/D119-A.HTMPositivist thinker Demétrio Nunes Ribeiro urged the new government to adopt this stance. The 1891 Constitution, the first under the Republican system of government, abolished privileges for any specific religion, reaffirming the separation of church and state. This has been the case ever since the 1988 Constitution of Brazil, currently in force, does so in its Nineteenth Article. The Preamble to the Constitution does refer to “God’s protection” over the document’s promulgation, but this is not legally taken as endorsement of belief in any deity.}} >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >History of the Constitution of Brazil#Old Republic>1890
Duchy of Brunswick>Brunswick Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick >Lutheran >German Revolution of 1918-1919>1918
Bulgarian Orthodox Church >Eastern Orthodox >| 1946
Central African Empire >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Operation Caban>1979
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Chilean Constitution of 1925>1925
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1936John Gunter, Inside Latin America (1941), p. 166
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1902
Church of Cyprus >Eastern Orthodox >| 1977, following the death of the Ethnarch Makarios III
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920>1920
Church of Denmark >Lutheran >| Current
Church of England >Anglican >| Current
Ethiopian Empire>Ethiopia Ethiopian Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox 1974
Faroe Islands >Church of the Faroe Islands >Lutheran >| Elevated from a diocese of the Church of Denmark in 2007 (the two remain in close cooperation)
Finland Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Lutheran 1867
Finnish Orthodox Church >Eastern Orthodox >| 1917
France Cult of Reason N/A 1794 (established 1793)
Cult of the Supreme Being >| 1794, officially banned in 1802
Roman Catholic Church{{efnConcordat of 1801 made the Roman Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran churches and Judaism state-sponsored religions until 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State.}} >Catholic >1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State>1905
Georgia (country)>Georgia Georgian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox 1921
Church of Greece >Eastern Orthodox >| The Church of Greece is recognized by the Greek Constitution as the “prevailing religion” in Greece. However, this provision does not give official status to the Church of Greece, while all other religions are recognized as equal and may be practiced freely.
Greenland >Church of Denmark >Lutheran >Diocese of Greenland>The Diocese of Greenland in the Church of Denmark to a state church for Greenland, along‐the‐lines the Faroese Church took in 2007
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1871
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Constitution of Haiti>1987
Kingdom of Hawaii>Hawaii Church of Hawaii Anglican 1893
Grand Duchy of Hesse>Hesse Evangelical Church of Hesse and Nassau >united and uniting churches>united Protestant 1918
In Hungary the constitutional laws of 1848 declared five established churches on equal status: the Roman Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox and Unitarianism Church. In 1868 the law was ratified again after the Ausgleich. In 1895 Judaism was also recognized as the sixth established church. In 1948 every distinction between the different denominations were abolished.{{webarchive >url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220121400www.legislationline.org/upload/legislations/cd/86/39b1e5cc4b9b9b6a97c2830f3608.htm title=Constitution of the Republic of Hungary }} (archived from the original on 2008-02-20){{webarchive www.magyarorszag.hu/english/keyevents/a_alpolg/a_allampolgarsagemberijogok/a_alapjog20050805/a_gondlelkiismjog20060627.html >date=23 May 2007 the original on 2007-05-23)}} >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1946
National Church of Iceland>Lutheran Evangelical Church Lutheran Current
Ireland{{efnKingdom of Ireland the Church of Ireland was established Reformation in Ireland>in the Reformation.LIVINGSTONE>FIRST1=E.A.FIRST2=M. W. D.FIRST3=R.W.CHAPTER-URL=HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=DZECAQAAQBAJ&PG=PA286PUBLISHER=OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESSPAGE=286Act of Union 1800 created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland with the United Church of England and Ireland established outside Scotland. The Irish Church Act 1869 demerged and disestablished the Church of Ireland, and the island was Partition of Ireland>partitioned in 1922. The Republic of Ireland’s Constitution of Ireland prohibits an established religion.HTTP://WWW.IRISHSTATUTEBOOK.IE/EN/CONSTITUTION/INDEX.HTML#ARTICLE44WORK=IRISH STATUTE BOOKACCESS-DATE=3 DECEMBER 2014, Originally, it recognized the “special position” of the Roman Catholic Church “as the guardian of the Faith professed by Roman Catholicism in Ireland”, and recognized “the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland, as well as the Jews in Ireland>Jewish Congregations and the other religious denominations existing in Ireland at the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution”.KEOGH>FIRST1=DERMOTFIRST2=DR. ANDREWDATE=2007-01-01ISBN=978-1856355612URL=HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=BCCQAAAAMAAJ, These provisions were Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland.HTTP://WWW.IRISHSTATUTEBOOK.IE/1972/EN/ACT/CAM/0005/INDEX.HTMLWORK=IRISH STATUTE BOOKChurch of Ireland >Anglican >| 1871
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Lateran Treaty#History>18 February 1984 (into force 25 April 1985ANDREA MAMMONE>AUTHOR2=GIUSEPPE A. VELTRIURL=HTTPS://BOOKS.GOOGLE.COM/BOOKS?ID=7YWKJ00DW7QCPUBLISHER=TAYLOR & FRANCISPAGE=168 (NOTE 1), )
Liechtenstein >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| Current
Principality of Lippe>Lippe Church of Lippe Reformed churches >| 1918
Lithuania >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1940
Free City of Lübeck>Lübeck North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church >Lutheran >| 1918
Luxembourg >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >
Malta >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| Current
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin>Mecklenburg-Schwerin Evangelical Church of Mecklenburg >Lutheran >| 1918
Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz>Mecklenburg-Strelitz Evangelical Church of Mecklenburg >Lutheran >| 1918
Mexico >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >constitution of 1857>1857 (reestablished between 1864 and 1867)
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1999 (reestablished again in 2020–present).
Dutch Reformed Church >Reformed churches>Reformed 1795
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >ACCESS-DATE=2024-03-14, www.enriquebolanos.org,
North Macedonia >Macedonian Orthodox Church >Eastern Orthodox >| 1921
Church of Norway >Lutheran >Offisielt frÃ¥ statsrÃ¥det 27. mai 2016 regjeringen.no «Sanksjon av Stortingets vedtak 18. mai 2016 til lov om endringer i kirkeloven (omdanning av Den norske kirke til eget rettssubjekt m.m.) Lovvedtak 56 (2015–2016) Lov nr. 17 Delt ikraftsetting av lov 27. mai 2016 om endringer i kirkeloven (omdanning av Den norske kirke til eget rettssubjekt m.m.). Loven trer i kraft fra 1. januar 2017 med unntak av romertall I § 3 nr. 8 første og fjerde ledd, § 3 nr. 10 annet punktum og § 5 femte ledd, som trer i kraft 1. juli 2016.»HTTP://SNL.NO/RELIGION_I_NORGEFIRST1=TARALDFIRST2=SINDREFIRST3=KNUT A.FIRST4=BENTEDATE=23 APRIL 2018DATE=2017-12-30ACCESS-DATE=2017-01-02, but article 16 says that “The Church of Norway [...] will remain the National Church of Norway and will as such be supported by the State.“The Constitution of Norway, Article 16 (English translation, published by the Norwegian Parliament) As of 1{{nbsp}}January 2017 the Church of Norway is a legal entity independent of the state.Lovvedtak 56 (2015–2016) Vedtak til lov om endringer i kirkeloven (omdanning av Den norske kirke til eget rettssubjekt m.m.) Stortinget.no
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg>Oldenburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg >Lutheran >| 1918
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1904
Paraguay >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >| 1992Under the 1967 Constitution, Roman Catholicism was the state religion as stated in Article 6: “The Roman Catholic Apostolic religion is the state religion, without prejudice to religious freedom, which is guaranteed in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution. Official relations of the republic with the Holy See shall be governed by concordats or other bilateral agreements.” The 1992 Constitution, which replaced the 1967 one, establishes Paraguay as a secular state, as mentioned in section (1) of Article 24: “Freedom of religion, worship, and ideology is recognized without any restrictions other than those established in this Constitution and the law. The State has no official religion.”
Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Constitution of Peru>1993
The Philippines was among several possessions ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898; religious freedom was subsequently guaranteed in the archipelago. This was codified in the Philippine Organic Act (1902), section 5: “...{{nbsp}}That no law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and that the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed.” A similarly-worded provision still exists in the 1987 Constitution. Catholicism remains the predominant religion, wielding considerable political and cultural influence.}} >Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines>Roman Catholic Church Catholic 1898
Article 25 of the constitution states: “1. Churches and other religious organizations shall have equal rights. 2. Public authorities in the Republic of Poland shall be impartial in matters of personal conviction”. Article 114 of the Polish March Constitution of Poland declared the Roman Catholic Church to hold “the principal position among religious denominations equal before the law” (in reference to the idea of primus inter pares>first among equals). The article was continued in force by article 81 of the April Constitution of Poland. The Soviet-backed PKWN Manifesto of 1944 reintroduced the March Constitution, which remained in force until it was replaced by the Small Constitution of 1947.}}>Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Small Constitution of 1947>1947
Until 1910 Roman Catholic Church was considered as state religion. Between 1951 and 1976 Catholic religion was considered as religion of the Portuguese Nation.{{citation neededRoman Catholic Church >Catholic >5 October 1910 revolution>1910, 1976
Kingdom of Prussia>Prussiapre 1866 provinces Evangelical State Church of Prussia’s older Provinces with nine ecclesiastical provinces united and uniting churches >| 1918
Province of Hanover >Evangelical Reformed Church - Synod of Reformed Churches in Bavaria and Northwestern Germany>Evangelical Reformed State Church of the Province of Hanover Continental Reformed church >| 1918
Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover >Lutheran >| 1918
Province of Hesse-Nassau (partially)>Evangelical Church of Hesse and Nassau>Evangelical State Church of Frankfurt upon Main united and uniting churches >| 1918
Evangelical Church of Hesse-Kassel and Waldeck>Evangelical Church of Electoral Hesse united and uniting churches >| 1918
Evangelical Church of Hesse and Nassau>Evangelical State Church in Nassau united and uniting churches >| 1918
Province of Schleswig-Holstein >North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church>Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schleswig-Holstein Lutheran 1918
Romanian Orthodox Church >Eastern Orthodox >Socialist Republic of Romania>1947
Russian Orthodox Church >Eastern Orthodox >February Revolution>1917
Kingdom of Saxony>Saxony Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Saxony Lutheran 1918
Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe>Schaumburg-Lippe Evangelical State Church of Schaumburg-Lippe Lutheran 1918
The modern Church of Scotland has always disclaimed recognition as an “established” church while remaining the national church. The Church of Scotland Act 1921 formally recognised the Kirk’s independence from the state.}} Church of Scotland Presbyterian Remains the national church; state control disclaimed since 1638. Formally recognised as not an established church by the Church of Scotland Act 1921.
Serbia >Serbian Orthodox Church >Eastern Orthodox >| 1920
Spain >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Spanish Constitution of 1978>1978
Sweden >Church of Sweden >Lutheran >| 2000
Thuringia >Evangelical Church in Thuringia>church bodies in principalities which merged in Thuringia in 1920 Lutheran 1918
Tuvalu >Church of Tuvalu >Reformed tradition>Reformed Current
Uruguay >Roman Catholic Church >Catholic >Constitution of Uruguay of 1918>1918 (into effect in 1919)
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution to the Constitution of the United States>U.S. Constitution explicitly forbids the Federal government of the United States from enacting any law respecting a religious establishment, and thus forbids either designating an official church for the United States, or interfering with U.S. state>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 it replaced its colonial Fundamental Orders of Connecticut with the History of Connecticut#The 1818 Constitution (1818–1890)>Connecticut Constitution of 1818; Massachusetts retained an establishment of religion in general until 1833.JAMES H. HUTSON>TITLE=RELIGION AND THE NEW REPUBLIC: FAITH IN THE FOUNDING OF AMERICAYEAR=2000ISBN=978-0847694341, 22, Until its substitution by Article of Amendment XI in 1834, Article{{nbsp}}III of the Massachusetts constitution’s bill of rights provided, “...{{nbsp}}the legislature shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic, or religious societies, to make suitable provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, religion and morality, in all cases where such provision shall not be made voluntarily.“Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, weblink.The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. 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”. In the 1947 case of Everson v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court held that this later provision incorporates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause as applying to the States, and thereby prohibits state and local religious establishments. The exact boundaries of this prohibition are still disputed, and are a frequent source of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—especially as the Court must now balance, on a state level, the First Amendment prohibitions on government establishment of official religions with the First Amendment prohibitions on government interference with the free exercise of religion. See school prayer for such a controversy in contemporary American politics.All current State constitutions do mention a Creator, but include guarantees of religious liberty parallel to the First Amendment. The constitutions of eight states (Arkansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas) also contain clauses that prohibit atheists from holding public office.WEB,www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm, State Constitutions that Discriminate Against Atheists, godlessgeeks.com, 2007-04-27, 17 October 2006,www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20061017080217www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20061017080217www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/StateConstitutions.htm, dead, WEB,www.religioustolerance.org/texas.htmpublisher=religioustolerance.com Supreme Court of the United States>U.S. Supreme Court to be unenforceable in the 1961 case of Torcaso v. Watkins, where the court ruled unanimously that such clauses constituted a religious test incompatible with the religious test prohibition in Article{{nbsp}}6 Section{{nbsp}}3 of the United States Constitution.The Church of Hawaii was the state church of Hawaii from 1862–1893.}}
|| none since 1776, which was made explicit in the Bill of Rights in 1792 || none || n/a; some state legislatures required all citizens in those states to be members of a church, and some had official churches, such as Congregationalism in some New England states such as Massachusetts. This eventually ended in 1833 when Massachusetts was the last state to disestablish its church.
Waldeck (principality)>Waldeck Evangelical Church of Hesse-Kassel and Waldeck >united and uniting churches>united Protestants 1918
Wales{{efn>The Church in Wales was split from the Church of England in 1920, by Welsh Church Act 1914; at the same time becoming disestablished.}} Church of England Anglican 1920
Kingdom of Württemberg>Württemberg Evangelical State Church in Württemberg Lutheran 1918

Former confessional states

Note: This only includes states that abolished their state religion themselves, not states with a state religion that were conquered, fell apart or otherwise disappeared.“>

Buddhism{| class“sortable wikitable”

! Country! Denomination! Disestablished
Kingdom of Laos>Laos| Theravada Buddhism
Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)>Siam| Theravada BuddhismConstitution of Thailand#1932 constitution>1932
| Tokugawa Shogunate
Buddhism in Japan>Japanese Buddhism| 1868
“>

Hinduism{| class“sortable wikitable”

! Country! Disestablished
Kingdom of Nepal>Nepalde facto)NEPAL SCHEIDT HINDOE EN STAAT AUTHOR=ANP TROUW >DATE=15 SEPTEMBER 2015 URL=HTTPS://WWW.TROUW.NL/NIEUWS/NEPAL-SCHEIDT-HINDOE-EN-STAAT~B5A1E16F/, nl, 2015 (de jure)
“>

Islam{| class“sortable wikitable”

! Country! Denomination! Disestablished
| Sudan| Sunni Islam
2019–2026 Sudanese transition to democracy#Religion/state separation and recognition of diversity (September 2020)>2020HTTPS://WWW.VOANEWS.COM/AFRICA/SOUTH-SUDAN-FOCUS/SUDANS-GOVERNMENT-AGREES-SEPARATE-RELIGION-AND-STATE >TITLE=SUDAN’S GOVERNMENT AGREES TO SEPARATE RELIGION AND STATE WORK=VOICE OF AMERICA ACCESS-DATE=8 SEPTEMBER 2020,
| Tunisia| Sunni Islam
2022 Tunisian constitutional referendum>2022
| Turkey| Sunni Islam
Turkish Constitution of 1924#Amendments>1928{{efnTurkish Constitution of 1924 was amended for the first time on 10 April 1928, including removing inter alia Article 2 and the provision of “Religion of the Turkish state is Islam”.beykent.edu.tr, TC Anayasaları, 1921, 1924, 1961 ve 1982 Anayasalarını karşılaÅŸtırılması {{Webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224041757kampus.beykent.edu.tr/Paylasim/Dosyalar/Anayasalar_129807210772392500.pdf tr}}}}
“>

Shamanism{| class“sortable wikitable”

! Country! Denomination! Disestablished
| Silla| Korean Shamanism| 527 CE
“>

Shinto{| class“sortable wikitable”

! Country! Denomination! Disestablished
Empire of Japan>Japan| State ShintoConstitution of Japan>1947 (de facto)SJINTô >ENCYCLOPEDIA=ENCARTA ENCYCLOPEDIE WINKLER PRINS PUBLISHER=MICROSOFT CORPORATION/HET SPECTRUM, nl,

See also

{{div col|colwidth=25em}} {{div col end}}

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • Rowlands, John Henry Lewis (1989). Church, State, and Society, 1827–1845: the Attitudes of John Keble, Richard Hurrell Froude, and John Henry Newman. Worthing, Eng.: P. Smith [of] Churchman Publishing; Folkestone, Eng.: distr.{{nbsp}}... by Bailey Book Distribution. {{ISBN|1850931321}}

External links

{{Religion topics |state=expanded}}{{Religious persecution}}{{Relpolnav}}{{Authority control}}

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