Excessive devotion to church doctrines, rituals, or institutional authority; an overemphasis on formal church practices.
From church + -ism (a suffix forming nouns denoting systems, practices, or devotion to something). The -ism suffix comes from Latin and Greek origins and became productive in English during the 18th century.
The suffix -ism can turn almost any noun into a label for a belief system or excessive practice—notice how 'patriotism' is positive but 'nationalism' often carries a negative edge; similarly, 'churchism' suggests institutional church authority taken too far, while 'faith' remains neutral.
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