ABSTRACT
Legitimacy is a central aspect of politics. This chapter considers the role of religion in supporting and undermining religious legitimacy. Some important factors include: success in accomplishing goals; tradition; popular consent; democracy; revolutions; indigenous-ness; charisma; rule of law; international recognition; and ethnicity and nationalism. The chapter looks at some common clauses in constitutions, all of which support religion or draw legitimacy from religion. Most states either seek religious legitimacy or fear its use against the state. In many cases this legitimacy manifests in what is an archetypical and stable act of mutual support in which the state supports a religion and, in return, the religion supports the government. A classic example of this type of pact is the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in medieval Europe. In addition to influencing the legitimacy of a regime or government in general, religion can also be used to legitimate specific politicians, policies, and political agendas.
