Religion and the State

Watch

• From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians, Part One (full documentary) | FRONTLINE ↗FRONTLINE PBS | Official
• Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia, Part One (full documentary) | FRONTLINE ↗FRONTLINE PBS | Official
• How Christianity Became the Most Popular Religion on Earth | Full History Documentary ↗Past Uncovered
• Arabia Before Islam: Religion, Society, Culture DOCUMENTARY ↗Kings and Generals
• The First Amendment: Freedom of Religion in the U.S. | History ↗HISTORY
• Behind the Bahá'í faith, one of the fastest growing religions ↗CBS Mornings

Read

• A Letter Concerning Toleration ↗A foundational text articulating the liberal case for religious freedom and the separation of church and state, essential for understanding modern governance.John Locke
• Democracy in America ↗An enduring analysis of American democracy, offering prescient insights into how religion sustains civil society and moderates state power.Alexis de Tocqueville
• The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism ↗A seminal work exploring how religious beliefs can profoundly shape economic systems and, by extension, the character of the state.Max Weber
• Public Religions in the Modern World ↗Challenges the secularization thesis, demonstrating the enduring and often resurgent role of religion in the public sphere of modern states.José Casanova
• What is Enlightenment?A concise, powerful essay defining the Enlightenment's call for individual reason and its implications for intellectual freedom and the role of authority, including the state's relationship with religious thought.Immanuel Kant

Voices to follow

• Karen Armstrong ↗Her extensive historical analyses illuminate how religious traditions have shaped, and been shaped by, political power and societal structures across millennia.Historian of religion and author
• José Casanova ↗A leading voice on 'public religions,' he meticulously examines the re-emergence of religious actors in the public sphere and their complex interactions with modern states and global civil society.Professor of Sociology and Theology, Georgetown University
• Charles Taylor ↗His seminal work on secularism provides a profound philosophical framework for understanding the historical evolution and contemporary challenges of religion's place in the modern, pluralistic state.Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, McGill University
• Reza Aslan ↗He offers incisive commentary on the political dimensions of religion, particularly Islam, and its evolving role in contemporary geopolitics and national identity.Scholar of religions, author, and commentator

Glossary

• Discrimination (Religious)Religious discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly or differently because of their religion or beliefs, leading to disadvantages or harm. For example, if a landlord refuses to rent an apartment to someone just because they wear a turban, that's religious discrimination.
• Freedom of ReligionFreedom of religion is a basic human right that allows people to choose their own beliefs, practice their religion openly, or choose not to follow any religion, without fear of punishment from the government. For example, this freedom means you can choose to go to a temple, mosque, church, or not go to any place of worship at all, and the government protects that choice.
• Human RightsHuman rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death, including the right to believe what you want. For example, human rights ensure that everyone, no matter their background or beliefs, has the right to live safely and express themselves, including their religious views, without fear.
• Religious PluralismReligious pluralism means that many different religions and belief systems exist together peacefully within one society, and everyone's right to practice their faith is respected. For example, India shows religious pluralism because people of many faiths like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, and Buddhism live side-by-side and celebrate their festivals.
• Religious ToleranceReligious tolerance is about accepting and respecting people who have different religious beliefs or practices than your own, even if you don't agree with them. For example, showing religious tolerance means you don't make fun of someone for celebrating a different festival or praying in a different way than you do.
• SecularismSecularism means the government stays neutral and doesn't favor any particular religion, treating all citizens equally regardless of their beliefs. For example, a secular country's public schools would not require students to pray to a specific god or celebrate only one religious festival.
• Separation of Church and StateThis idea means that the government and religious institutions should be kept separate, so neither controls the other's decisions or activities. For example, this separation means a government school won't teach one specific religion as mandatory, and religious organizations don't control government decisions.
• State ReligionA state religion is an official religion that a country's government formally supports or recognizes, often giving it special status or funding. For example, if a country declares Hinduism as its official state religion, it might provide special funding or recognition to Hindu institutions, even if other religions are also practiced there.
• TheocracyA theocracy is a type of government where religious leaders hold power and the country's laws are based on religious rules. For example, in a historical theocracy, a priest or cleric might also be the king, and religious texts would be the main source of law.

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Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Markets, Competition & Firms Economics

  When America refused to pick an official religion, it actually got more religious, not less. Think of it like business: a company with no competitors gets lazy, but rivals fighting for customers try harder. With no state-backed monopoly on faith, churches had to compete for believers, so they got fired up.

• Constitutions & Rights Political Science

  In the Middle Ages the Pope and the King each claimed their own kind of power, one over souls, one over armies, and neither would fully bow to the other. That standoff planted a huge idea: maybe no single person should hold all the power. It's the great-grandparent of the modern rule that splits government into separate branches.

• Nationalism & the Nation-State History

  Nationalism quietly raided religion's closet and put on its clothes. Flags became holy icons, fallen soldiers became martyrs, the homeland became sacred soil, and founding documents became scripture. The nation turned itself into a kind of faith, one the state itself could command you to worship.

• Migration & Refugees Global Risks

  Long ago, a person could flee into a church and the king's soldiers couldn't touch them, the holy ground outranked the crown. That idea of sanctuary is older than the modern government's monopoly on force. And it's not just history: faith networks still quietly run shelters and safe routes for migrants today, a religious institution operating where the state's power stops.