Neo-theocracy

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"Neo-theocracy" (often shortened to "neo-theo") is a term pundits began using in the first decade of the 21st century to refer to a (perceived) sudden growth in the popularity of the acceptance of the legitimacy of the combination of religion and politics. Those who use this term (often a term of disparagement) point to, as examples, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, including but not limited to belief in Shariah as a basis for modern laws, the re-opening of formerly Communist countries to the influence of religion, the growth of neo-conservatism and the influence of the (Christian) religious right in North America, England, and elsewhere, and a new religiosity even found amongst political radicals, such as Hakim Bey. (Radicals, especially "leftist" radicals such as Hakim Bey, had hitherto been emerging largely from atheist and agnostic traditions, such as Marxist materialism.) From Voltaire to Nietzsche, intellectuals had been for centuries predicting an imminent demise for religion, but the power of religion now appears to be growing rather than shrinking, and there is nothing to suggest that current trends will not persist. For many, this implies the necessity of a re-thinking of the entire Enlightenment project, and thus neo-theo is often seen as a symptom of the post-modern condition. But for proponents of liberal democracy, rooted as it is in the Enlightenment tradition, neo-theo presents a threat to the fundamental principle of the separation of Church and State.