Sacralized politics occurs in democracies too, giving constitutions and founders scripture-like status

Evidence

Similarly, in his study of the relationship among totalitarianism, secular religion, and modernity, Gentile (2004, 327) defines sacralization of politics as “the formation of a religious dimension in politics that is distinct from, and autonomous from traditional religious institutions.” This process happens all the time and becomes apparent when a political movement confers a sacred status on a political entity, such as the nation, the state, or the party (Gentile 2005). While Gentile studies the extreme manifestations of this process in totalitarian regimes, others discuss its prevalence in modern politics, including in democracies that developed their own “holy scriptures,” such as the constitution and “prophets” in the form of founding fathers, foundational myths, and symbols (Augusteijn, Dassen, and Janse 2013; Beshara 2019; Burrin 1997). — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 82

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies that ‘sacralization of politics’ is autonomy-from-religion, applying even to Western democratic constitutions — opposing the common assumption it is a totalitarian or non-Western phenomenon.
• XREF: connects to: Modern political-constitutional concepts are secularized theology — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular:…, 922; Even secular revolution preserves the theological structure of politics — Gil Anidjar, The Jew, the Arab: A History of the…, 70; Sacralized politics yields a self-sustaining power structure resistant to change — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized:…, 108 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Even secular revolution preserves the theological structure of politics #corroborates (0.80) — Gil Anidjar, The Jew, the Arab, 70
• Religious deprivatization can be modern if it respects democratic institutions. #qualifies (0.80) — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 887
• Modern political-constitutional concepts are secularized theology #responds-to (0.75) — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 922
• Sacralizing religion extends state power across identity, law, and violence #expands (0.75) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 67
• Sacralized politics yields a self-sustaining power structure resistant to change #complicates (0.72) — Nadim N. Rouhana and Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, When Politics Are Sacralized, 108
• Constitutional declarations of political principles signal their impotence, not their power #qualifies (0.72) — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 921
• Textual authority was believed to degenerate over time like political power #exemplifies (0.70)