A system of government in which religious leaders control political power and state policies are based on religious law. In theocracies, civil law and religious law are often identical, and political authority derives from divine mandate.
From Greek 'theokratia,' combining 'theos' (god) and 'kratia' (rule), literally meaning 'rule by god.' The term was coined by Jewish historian Josephus in the 1st century CE to describe ancient Israel's government under divine law.
Historical theocracies from ancient Egypt to medieval Europe to modern Iran show how religious authority and political power can merge, often creating societies with strict moral codes but limited individual freedoms. The Puritan settlements in early America represented an attempt to create Christian theocracy, influencing American political culture even as the Constitution later separated church and state.
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