Where organized religion begins, democratic rights end. Or so it is often assumed. Traditionally, most political philosophers have agreed that democratic norms should not directly regulate the internal governance of nonpolitical organizations. And while a growing number of scholars have recently argued in favor of democratizing some nonpolitical organizations, most notably business firms, religious associations continue to be regarded as paradigmatic cases of democracy-free zones. Contrary to this view, I defend a pro tanto right to democracy within large and hierarchical churches. I then explain that, once appropriately qualified, this right is not overruled by claims to freedom of religious association and church autonomy. Testing the extension of democratic rights to churches provides an opportunity to tackle, at once, a series of broader normative issues, including the scope of democracy “below” the state, the limits of freedom of association, and the putatively special status of religion.
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