caesaropapism
/ˌsizəroʊˈpeɪpɪzəm/
noun
- A political system in which the ruler is also the head of the church, combining secular and religious authority.
- Some historians argue that caesaropapism weakened the independence of religious institutions.
- Modern democracies generally reject caesaropapism in favor of separating church and state.
- The Byzantine Empire is often cited as an example of caesaropapism, where the emperor controlled both state and church.
Antonyms