sacralpolitical

Sacralpolitical is a neologism used to describe the interaction and overlap between the sacred (religious, ritual, or sacralized symbols) and political authority or practice. The term captures ways in which political actors draw on religious language and symbolism to legitimize power, and conversely how religious institutions or beliefs are mobilized for political ends.

Scholars use sacralpolitical to analyze phenomena such as the sacralization of the state (civil religion), the politicization of religious rituals, the elevation of leaders to quasi-sacred status, and legal systems that incorporate religious law. It is discussed within disciplines including political theology, sociology of religion, anthropology, and political science as a lens for understanding legitimacy, identity, and mobilization.

Manifestations of sacralpolitical dynamics range from ceremonial uses of sacred symbols (coronations, state rituals, national myths) to institutional arrangements (theocracies, state churches) and rhetorical strategies that frame political goals in moral or eschatological terms. The concept is also applied to contemporary identity politics where religious narratives shape nationalist or populist movements.

Critics caution that the term can be imprecise, conflating diverse practices and obscuring power relations. Debates center on measurement, historical specificity, and the normative implications of sacralizing politics. Interest in sacralpolitical phenomena has grown alongside studies of secularization, religious revival, and the role of symbolic authority in modern governance.