Disengagement

Disengagement Definition

Disengagement is the process by which the state and the church become increasingly separate and distinct entities, accompanied by a corresponding loss of the church’s power and influence over the state. It describes the gradual withdrawal of religious institutions from the machinery of government and public authority.

Significance

Disengagement is held to be one of the factors contributing to the increasing secularization of society, as the church’s formal ties to the state weaken and its capacity to shape political and civic life declines.