From Wikipedia: '''Theocracy''' is a form of government in which one or more [[deity|deities]] of some type are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the day-to-day affairs of the government.Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language (1989 edition)."[https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/theocracy Theocracy, n.]" in ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (2015); Retrieved 28 June 2015
==Etymology== The word theocracy originates from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word θεοκρατία (''theocratia'') meaning "the rule of God". This, in turn, derives from [[:wikt:θεός|θεός]] (theos), meaning "god", and [[:wikt:κρατέω|κρατέω]] (''krateo''), meaning "to rule". Thus the meaning of the word in Greek was "rule by god(s)" or human [incarnation] of god(s).
The term was initially coined by [[Flavius Josephus]] in the first century AD to describe the characteristic government of the [[Jew]]s. Josephus argued that while mankind had developed many forms of rule, most could be subsumed under the following three types: [[monarchy]], [[oligarchy]], and [[democracy]]. However, according to Josephus, the government of the Jews was unique. Josephus offered the term "theocracy" to describe this polity in which God was sovereign and His word was law.cite%20book%7Curl%3Dhttp%3A//www.gutenberg.org/files/2849/2849-h/2849-h.htm%7Ctitle%3DAgainst%20Apion%20by%20Flavius%20Josephus%2C%20Book%20II%2C%20Chapter%2017%7Cwork%3Dgutenberg.org%7Cdate%3DOctober%202001
Josephus' definition was widely accepted until the [[The Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] era, when the term took on negative [[connotation]]s and was barely salvaged by [[Hegel]]'s commentary.Cite%20journal%7Clast%3DMoked%7Cfirst%3DOran%7Cdate%3D2004%7Ctitle%3DThe%20Relationship%20between%20Religion%20and%20State%20in%20Hegel%27s%20Thought%7Cjournal%3DHegel%20Bulletin%7Clanguage%3Den%7Cvolume%3D25%7Cissue%3D1%E2%80%932%7Cpages%3D96%E2%80%93112%7Cdoi%3D10.1017/S0263523200002032%7Cissn%3D2051-5367%7Cdoi-access%3Dfree The first recorded English use was in 1622, with the meaning "sacerdotal government under divine inspiration" (as in Biblical Israel before the rise of kings); the meaning "priestly or religious body wielding political and civil power" was recorded in 1825.
==Definition== tone%7Csection%7Cdate%3DDecember%202016 The term ''theocracy'' derives from the [[Koine Greek]] lang%7Cgrc%7C%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BF%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AF%CE%B1, "rule of God", a term used by [[Josephus]] for the [[kingdoms of Israel and Judah]],English form the 17th century (''[[OED]]''). The Greek term is explicitly coined by Josephus and isn't attested elsewhere in Ancient Greek; Josephus marks it as a [[Nonce word|nonce]] coinage by calling it a "strained expression". W. Whiston tr. [[Josephus]], ''Against Apion'' ii. §17 (1814) IV. 340: "He [Moses] ordained our government to be what, by a strained expression, may be termed a Theocracy", translating lang%7Cgrc%7C%E1%BD%A1%CF%82%20%CE%B4%27%E1%BC%84%CE%BD%20%CF%84%CE%AF%CF%82%20%CE%B5%E1%BC%B4%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%2C%20%CE%B2%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82%20%CF%84%E1%BD%B8%CE%BD%20%CE%BB%CF%8C%CE%B3%CE%BF%CE%BD%2C%20%CE%B8%CE%B5%CE%BF%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AF%CE%B1%CE%BD reflecting the view that "God himself is recognized as the head" of the state.[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14568a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia] "A form of civil government in which God himself is recognized as the head." The common, generic use of the term, as defined above in terms of rule by a church or analogous religious leadership, would be more accurately described as an ecclesiocracy.Stephen Palmquist, [http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/ppp/bth ''Biblical Theocracy: A vision of the biblical foundations for a Christian political philosophy''] (Hong Kong: Philopsychy Press, 1993), introduced these more precise uses of the terms in arguing that theocracy (in this pure sense) is the only political system defended in the Bible. While Palmquist defends theocracy in this pure form as a viable (though "non-political") political system, he warns that what normally goes by this name is actually ecclesiocracy, the most dangerous of all political systems.
In a pure theocracy, the civil leader is believed to have a personal connection with the deity or deities of that civilization's religion or belief, such as [[Muhammad]]'s leadership of the early Muslims with prophecies from [[God in Islam|Allah]]. In an ecclesiocracy, the religious leaders assume a leading role in the state, but do not claim that they are instruments of divine revelation.
A related phenomenon is a secular government co-existing with a state religion or delegating some aspects of civil law to religious communities. For example, in Israel, [[Marriage in Israel|marriage]] is governed by officially recognized religious bodies who each provide marriage services for their respected adherents, yet no form of civil marriage (free of religion) exists, nor marriage by non-recognized minority religions.