Oligopoly is not pluralism

Abstract

There are four basic types of church-state relations: eradication, monopoly, oligopoly, and pluralism. State regulations may ban all religions, protect only one religion, allow for several religions, or treat all religions equally. The existing literature has focused almost exclusively on monopoly and pluralism. However, the most prevalent type in the world today is neither monopoly nor pluralism but oligopoly. This Chapter argues that it is necessary to distinguish between oligopoly and pluralism in order to understand better the changing dynamics of church-state relations in the modern world. It is also necessary to distinguish between pluralism and plurality in theoretical construction. Moreover, these distinctions necessitate a definition of religion, a duty that social scientists of religion can no longer evade.