You Might Be Living in a Credocracy (And Not Even Know It)
Throughout history, we’ve learned to name different forms of government: democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, oligarchy, technocracy… and of course, the well-known theocracy – a system where power is supposedly exercised in the name of one or more deities.
But hold on a second: when was the last time a deity showed up in flesh and blood to govern a country?
Never!
The truth is, behind the idea of theocracy lies an undeniable paradox: no divine being has ever sat on a throne or signed a law. What actually exists is human mediation – real people, with real bodies and real interests, claiming to act on behalf of a god or sacred authority. That makes the picture far more complex than the simple image of “divine rule.”
So what’s really in charge: faith itself, or those who claim to have it?
What if we stopped calling these regimes theocracies and started naming them for what they really are: systems based on institutionalised belief, shaping laws, behaviours and punishments? That’s where the idea of credocracy comes in.
Credo + Cracy = Power Based on Belief
The word credocracy comes from the Latin credere (“to believe”) and the Greek krátos (“power” or “rule”). In other words: power based on belief – religious or ideological. You don’t need a god to govern. You just need a belief system strong enough to structure the State.
In a credocracy, government decisions are driven by a dominant set of beliefs. These may come from religion, but they can also stem from ideologies, traditions, doctrines or moral frameworks. The point isn’t whether the State is officially religious – it’s whether it functions like it is. That is, it creates laws, norms and restrictions based on “sacred” values – even if those values are entirely human-made.
Theocracy doesn’t even make sense.
Where is this ‘divinity’ that governs?
The Hidden Power of Belief
Countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and the Vatican are commonly labeled theocracies. But when we look more closely, what really sustains power in these systems isn’t divine presence – it’s a highly institutionalised belief system. These systems rely on religious authorities, official rituals, normative dogmas and both symbolic and legal punishments.
But the logic of credocracy isn’t limited to explicitly religious regimes.
Even in modern secular “democracies”, belief sneaks into politics through speeches, symbols and practices that treat faith as the foundation of social order.
In the United States, for example, the rise of Trumpism has strengthened the Republican Party’s alignment with Christian conservatism – influencing public policy on abortion, education, immigration and more. Phrases like “in god we trust”, printed on money, or “god bless America”, repeated in presidential speeches, work as symbolic seals tying faith to nationhood.
In Brazil, the growing power of the Evangelical Caucus (Bancada Evangélica) in Congress shows how certain religious beliefs increasingly shape state decisions – often in the name of family, morality or divine protection. Slogans like “god above all” or “god, family, country” aren’t just political catchphrases – they’re part of a broader project: a belief-based model of power, more than a democratic or rational one.
Even seemingly harmless phrases like “god save the queen” or “god save the King” echo the credocratic spirit – implying that monarchs rule under divine blessing, keeping the link between faith and power alive.
When these expressions become normalised in politics and law, they help sustain credocratic systems – where the true source of power is not the Constitution, but an invisible body of sanctified values, backed by collective faith and symbolic authority.
Amor credendi: The Desire to Believe
Nietzsche once spoke of amor fati – the love of fate, a full acceptance of life as it is. But perhaps what we see in credocratic states is something else: amor credendi – the love of belief.
Not passive acceptance, but active devotion – an almost passionate adherence to the values that give power its meaning. It’s politicised faith. Belief with the force of law.
We Need to Talk About This
To name something is to understand it. And to understand is the first step toward transformation.
By recognising the existence of credocracies – visible or hidden – we become better equipped to question what truly underpins power in our societies. Are we governed by reason – or by institutionalised faith? By human-made laws – or by absolute doctrines?
Credocracy invites us to ask these questions – and maybe to doubt the easy answers.
Download or Read more here:
BATISTA, D. J. (2025). Vatican Citizenship for Catholics Worldwide: A Social Reparation. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15875236