Before the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the country was ruled by Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, who was well-known for his secular and U.S.-friendly attitudes. The constitution denotes that the ruler of the state is the best-qualified mortal to interpret Islam and to ensure that the people of the state strictly adhere to its principles. In this manner, the government and constitution of Iran mix both theocratic and democratic principles and elements. However, the laws of the constitution and justice in the state are based on Islamic law. The country has a supreme leader, president, and several councils. Located in what is considered the Middle East, the government of Iran is a mixed theocratic government. The more commonly recognized definition as a “priestly or religious body wielding political and civil power” was recorded in 1825. “Sacerdotal” doctrine ascribes sacrificial functions and spiritual or supernatural powers to ordained priests. The first recorded English use of theocracy meaning, “a sacerdotal government under divine inspiration” appeared in 1622. “ if the principle of the state is a complete totality, then church and state cannot possibly be unrelated,” he wrote in 1789. Josephus' first-century definition of theocracy remained widely accepted until the Enlightenment era, when the term took on more universalistic and negative connotations, especially when German philosopher Friedrich Hegel’s commentary on the relationship between religion and government contrasted sharply with established theocratic doctrines. This mandate stated that the current ruler was chosen by a divine force. In 1046 BCE, the Shang Dynasty was overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty, which used a claimed “Mandate of Heaven” as a way to overthrow the government. During the Shang Dynasty, the priest-king was thought to communicate and interpret the wishes of the gods and their ancestors. The papacy in the Papal States occupies a middle ground between theocracy and ecclesiocracy since the pope does not claim to be a prophet who receives direct revelation from God for translation into civil lawĭuring its nearly 3,000 years of recorded history, early China was ruled by several dynasties that practiced theocratic forms of government, including the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. A theocracy is often defined in contrast to an ecclesiocracy, in which religious leaders direct the government but do not claim that they act as earthly instruments of a deity. The head of state is assumed to have a personal connection with the deity or deities of the civilization's religion or spiritual belief. In a true theocracy, one or more deities are recognized as the supreme ruling authorities, giving divinely inspired guidance to the humans who manage the day-to-day affairs of the government. There is no room for democracy and all decisions of a theocracy’s leader are unquestionable.There is no separation of church and state in a true theocracy and the open practice of only the country’s prevailing religion is allowed.Serving their divine leader or leaders rather than the citizens, theocracies are often oppressive in function, with harsh punishment for rule-breakers.A theocracy is a form of government in which priests or religious leaders rule in the name of a deity or deities.
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