Skip to main content
Christian sharia

Christian sharia

9.3
Religious rules based on Christian beliefs that some people want as law
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɪs.tʃən ʃəˈriː.ə/
translation icon : sharia cristiana
  • Critics warn against imposing Christian sharia on secular legal systems.

Examples

  • The rise of certain political movements has sparked debate about the possible establishment of Christian sharia in some Western countries.

  • Some groups advocate for Christian sharia as a moral guideline.

  • The term Christian sharia is often used in discussions about religious influence on public policy.

  • Many people are debating the implications of Christian sharia in modern society.

  • Many communities discuss how Christian sharia influences their local laws and ethics.

  • Advocates argue that Christian sharia provides a framework for moral decision-making.

  • The concept of Christian sharia raises questions about the relationship between faith and governance.

Surface Forms

Morphology

Christian + sharia

The phrase combines the transparent constituents 'Christian' (relating to Christianity) and 'sharia' (religious law), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a Christian form or analogue of sharia — i.e., religiously based laws or codes within a Christian context. This is a straightforward compositional pattern (noun-noun/adj-noun modification) found cross-linguistically, making the meaning predictable rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Christian sharia joins Christian and sharia, where sharia refers to 'religious law' in Islam. People use this phrase as a strong image to warn about making government laws follow Christian beliefs, so it now means 'laws or rules based on Christianity'.