Clericalism is a term used to describe the power and influence of clergy in political matters. Some alternate words for clericalism include ecclesiasticism, theocracy, papalism, sacerdotalism and sectarianism. Ecclesiasticism implies the dominance of the church, while theocracy is governance under the authority of divine religious law. Papalism is the belief in papal authority or supremacy, while sacerdotalism emphasizes the role and power of the priesthood. Finally, sectarianism refers to excessive adherence to a particular denomination or sect of a religion to the point of exclusion of others. While all of these words have slightly different nuances, they all relate to the undue influence of religious institutions in secular affairs.