When religious authorities rule directly or when law is explicitly derived from religious doctrine without secular override, the system is a theocracy. Political and spiritual leadership are fused or closely aligned.

Historical theocracies include certain periods of papal rule and Calvin’s Geneva. Contemporary examples or partial examples appear where clerical bodies hold veto power over legislation and public office. Theocratic claims rest on divine authority rather than popular consent or hereditary right alone.

Theocracies restrict religious dissent and often regulate personal conduct according to sacred law. They can provide strong social cohesion among believers while generating conflict with non-believers and with modern expectations of individual rights. Transitions away from theocratic rule are typically contentious because they challenge not only political arrangements but ultimate sources of legitimacy.

In a theocracy, challenging the ruler can be framed as challenging the divine order itself.