"State-approved" would be the better description for most nations in GH with regards to religions, excepting the Pale, which would exemplify what "state-sponsored" is all about, that being Pholtus, and only Pholtus. Granted, this is an affectation of later material, so season to taste. Not all areas of the Pale need be intolerant towards non-Pholtines. For example, back in the day, "Wee Jas is worshiped in highly lawful and civilized communities including Lo Reltarma, the Scarlet Brotherhood, and the Theocracy of the Pale." So, Pholtus might be the state-sponsored church, but a very few others are tolerated.
Iuz- church of Iuz, Definitely state sponsored (or else!)
Horned Lands - church of Iuz (secretly Nerull and various lower planar powers)
Scarlet Brotherhood - most of the Suel deities, (Pyremius, Syrul, and Wee Jas are particularly revered); very much state-sponsored/approved in this case
There could be a rasgon info avalanche imminent, so I'll stop there. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Veluna: Cuthbert (Gygax, Kuntz, and T1-4) or Rao (Sargent, Lai).
Almor: Heironeous
Medegia: Hextor
Great Kingdom: Baalzy (briefly, WG8)
Greyhawk: Zagyg (ritually honored in some ways by the Oligarchy)
Pomarj: Earth Dragon?
Of the nations of the Flanaess, only in Keoland is there a firm separation of church and state, while I assume that most other nations have churches that are to some degree state-sponsored, by which I mean that the clerics have a voice in the government and receive money from the state in the form of state-mandated tithes and/or the government sponsoring the construction of temples and other religious buildings, the state persecution of heretics, etc. In some cases a secular ruler may also be the head of the state church.
Certainly theocracies like Almor, Ekbir, the See of Medegia, Veluna, Verbobonc, the Pale, and Iuz have state-sponsored (not merely approved) religions.
This doesn't necessarily mean a single patron god, however. A "church" can represent many gods: for example, the Old Kirk in Living Greyhawk's version of Perrenland honors most of the Flan deities, and Almor was ruled by an ecumenical council representing a number of deities.
The question of which faiths are state-sponsored can get complex in the case of cities like Greyhawk, where some members of the Directing Oligarchy are clerics (including clerics of St. Cuthbert, Rao, and Pelor), and Hardby, where the Throne of Wood upon which the Gynarch sits is sacred to Ehlonna, but members of the Order of the Throne of Wood also venerate Wee Jas and Mayaheine. Pelor and Berei have popular temples in Hardby, but I don't think they're state-sponsored.
In the County of Ulek, the druidic Old Faith is the state religion, to the point where the Count is appointed by the druidic hierarchy and must be a member of it. The Old Faith doesn't venerate a single god, but Beory is most commonly seen as the most important deity.
As depicted in Slavers, the worship of the Earth Dragon is state-sponsored and state-mandated in the Pomarj.
In Ket, the Beygraf's title is Shield of the True Faith, and the True Faith is defined by the teachings of Al'Akbar as interpreted by the grand mufti of the Yatils. In Tusmit, the grand mufti granted the status of orem, meaning "one set apart," to the pasha. In both cases, then, the True Faith of Al'Akbar qualifies as a state religion in those counties, but I wouldn't interpret this to mean that Al'Akbar is the sole god worshiped or that the followers of the True Faith believe Al'Akbar is preeminent over the gods. They simply follow a religion based on the mufti's interpretation of Al'Akbar's teachings.
Prior to Iuz's conquest, the Hierarchs of the Horned Society venerated Nerull, the archdevils, and daemons. After Iuz's conquest, the only state religion in the Horned Lands is Iuz. Other deities may be worshiped in secret, but the state (as represented by Althea, a cleric of Iuz) neither sponsors nor approves of them.
I was wondering if anyone had a list of state-sponsored churches for the various countries.
Off the top of my head I can think of:
...Veluna - Rao...
-With Cuthbertines and Heironieons on the council, as well [Living Greyhawk].
Phantasm72 wrote:
...Prelancy of Almor - Pelor (I think)...
-I think someone deduced that the last two prelates of Almor (i.e., pre-Greyhawk Wars) were of different faiths (but not hostile). I don't remember which, or how this was deduced.
It's hard to find much information on Almor before the wars. CombatMedic noticed that Len Lakofka's Suel gods articles mentioned Almor as a center for Kord worship.
There's an article on Almor in Oerth Journal #22 written with some of the Living Greyhawk authors. In the history there, Almor was originally governed by a worshiper of Pelor. An ecumenical council was established in 6 CY, "This council fostered new heights of political intrigue between religions, primarily Peloran and Pholtan but with influences from Heironeous, Zilchus and others." Its first prelate was a cleric of Pelor. Krevont, who was prelate in 576 CY, worshiped Pholtus. He was replaced in 577 CY by Anarkin of Heironeous who reigned until 582 CY, when Krevont returned to the throne. Krevont was killed in 584 CY and the council was destroyed.
Dragon #87 says that there's a thriving church of Kord in Almor, but it doesn't state that Kord is the dominant faith there.
There's an article on Almor in Oerth Journal #22 written with some of the Living Greyhawk authors. ...Its first prelate was a cleric of Pelor. Krevont, who was prelate in 576 CY, worshiped Pholtus. He was replaced in 577 CY by Anarkin of Heironeous who reigned until 582 CY, when Krevont returned to the throne. Krevont was killed in 584 CY and the council was destroyed...
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