List of state-established religions
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The following is a list of countries recognizing an official religion.
Contents |
[edit] Christian countries
The following states recognize some form of Christianity as their official religion (by denomination):
[edit] Roman Catholic
Jurisdictions which recognize Catholicism as their official religion:
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Liechtenstein
- Malta
- Monaco
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Some cantons of Switzerland
- Vatican City
- Philippines over 80-90%
[edit] Eastern Orthodox
Jurisdictions which recognize one of the Eastern Orthodox Churches as their official religion:
- Cyprus
- Finland (along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland)
- Greece
- Romania
The Russian Federation maintains the separation of church and state. Nevertheless it recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church, part of the Eastern Orthodox communion, as well as Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam as "indigenous" to Russian soil. (preamble of the law on freedom of conscience 1997)
[edit] Oriental Orthodox
Jurisdictions which recognize one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches as their official religion:
[edit] Lutheran
Jurisdictions which recognize a Lutheran church as their official religion:
Until 2000, Sweden had the localized Lutheran Church as a state church. The Church of Sweden has now been relegated to the status of a national church. Finland's former state church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, was changed into a national church (along with the Finnish Orthodox Church, which was given the same position) through the church law of 1870, the constitution of 1919 and the law on religious freedom of 1922.
[edit] Anglican
Jurisdictions which recognise an Anglican church as their state religion:
- England (as part of the greater United Kingdom) - Church of England
[edit] Reformed
Jurisdictions which recognize a Reformed church as their official religion:
- Scotland (as part of the greater United Kingdom) - Church of Scotland
- Some cantons of Switzerland
[edit] Islamic states
Countries which recognize Islam as their official religion:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Brunei
- Comoros
- Egypt - recognises Islamic Shari'a as the main source of legislation however makes no mention of Islam as the state religion.
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Somalia
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
States which recognize specifically Sunni Islam as their official religion:
- Algeria
- Saudi Arabia (as state-sanctioned religion)
- Somalia
States which recognize specifically Shia Islam as their official religion:
- Iran (as state-sanctioned religion)
[edit] Buddhist states
Countries which recognize Buddhism as their official religion:
- Bhutan (Lamaistic Buddhism as state-sanctioned religion)
- Cambodia (Theravada Buddhism)
- Myanmar, or formerly Burma (Theravada Buddhism, as the only legal, state-sanctioned religion)
- Thailand (Theravada Buddhism)
- Tibet (government-in-exile) (Tibetan Buddhism)
[edit] Hindu states
There is no country which recognizes Hinduism as its official religion:
- India - India is not a Hindu State. Although its populace constitutes of a Hindu majority (~80% Hindus, ~14% Muslims, ~2% Christians, ~%4 Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Jews, etc.), India is a secular state with a constitutionally and administratively guaranteed freedom to practice any religion.
[edit] Jewish states
Note: Officially, Israel has no state religion or established church. A few personal status laws, in particular regarding marriage and divorce, are governed by state-recognized Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze authorities. As the Jewish state, however, its de facto state religion is Judaism.
[edit] Pluralist states
- Lebanon recognises 18 official religions and denominations:
[edit] Secular states
Secular states do not profess any state religion and attempt to treat all religions equally. Countries that are secular are the found in this list.
[edit] Established churches and former state churches in Europe
Note 1: In 1967, the Albanian government made atheism the "state religion". This designation remained in effect until 1991.
Note 2: Finland's State Church was the Church of Sweden until 1809. As an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia 1809-1917, Finland retained the Lutheran State Church system, and a national church separate from Sweden was established. Since the independence in 1917, both the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church have got a constitutionally established special status.
[edit] Former state churches in British North America
| Colony | Denomination | Disestablished1 |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Congregational | 1818 |
| Georgia | Church of England | |
| Massachusetts | Congregational | 17802 |
| New Brunswick | Church of England | |
| New Hampshire | Congregational | 1790 |
| Newfoundland | Church of England | |
| North Carolina | Church of England | ≤ 1776 |
| Nova Scotia | Church of England | 1850 |
| Prince Edward Island | Church of England | |
| South Carolina | Church of England | |
| Upper Canada | Church of England | 1854 |
| Virginia | Church of England | 1786 |
| West Indies | Church of England | 1868 |
Note 1: In several colonies, the establishment ceased to exist in practice at the Revolution, about 1776; this is the date of legal abolition.
Note 2: Replaced by a system which required every man to belong to a church, and permitted each church to tax its members. This was not, in theory, an establishment; but was sufficiently oppressive in practice, to be abolished in 1833.
