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The religion that a nation follows and how tolerant it is of other faiths is an important aspect of gameplay in EUIV. The religion of a nation will confer specific benefits, enable different mechanics, and affect diplomatic actions as nations of mutually accepted religions have a better chance of reaching agreements with one another. Religion is also connected to unrest and provinces of non-tolerated religions are more rebellious. The player has some control over religion by having the option to change the state religion, send missionaries to convert heathen or heretic provinces to the state religion, and carry out religious decisions.

Religions and denominations [ edit ]

Religion by province in 1444. For more details use the navigation box (legend) above.

Since EU4 first came out many of its featured religions have been further developed and fleshed out with unique mechanics.

The following table details which religions are expanded by which DLC (in order of appearance).

DLC Expanded mechanics Wealth of Nations Reformed

Reformed Hindu

Hindu Norse El Dorado Inti

Inti Mayan

Mayan Nahuatl Common Sense Protestant

Protestant Mahayana

Mahayana Theravada

Theravada Vajrayana The Cossacks Tengri Rights of Man Coptic

Coptic Fetishist Mandate of Heaven Confucian

Confucian Shinto Third Rome Orthodox Cradle of Civilization Sunni

Sunni Shia

Shia Ibadi Rule Britannia Anglican Emperor Hussite

Hussite Catholic

Religious unity [ edit ]

Religious unity is the percentage of a country's development provided by provinces that follow the state religion or a positively tolerated heretic or heathen religion, excluding any assigned to trade companies.

Provinces of the state religion always contribute 100% unity regardless of tolerance.

Provinces of a heretic or heathen religion contribute a percentage determined by how tolerated they are.

The effects of tolerance on religious unity per province are as follows:

Tolerance Contribution < 0 +0% 0 +25% 1 +50% 2 +75% 3 +100%

For example, suppose a Catholic country has a 10 development Catholic province, a 4 development Protestant province, and a 16 development Sunni province. If heretic tolerance is +1 and heathen tolerance is -2, the country's religious unity will be (100% * 10 + 50% * 4 + 0% * 16) / (10 + 4 + 16) = 40%

Ideas and policies which increase religious unity:

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +50% — Bengali idea 1: Bengali Hindu-Sufi Syncretism

Gujarat Sultanate idea 1: Garba!

Indian Sultanate idea 1: Tolerate the Idol Worshipers

Jaunpuri idea 3: Sants and Sufis — — +33% South Indian traditions — — — +30% Sami traditions — — — +25% Bosnian traditions

Granadan traditions

Papal traditions

Punjabi traditions Humanist idea 1: Tolerance

Bahmani idea 2: Legacy of Gisu Daraz

Ferraran idea 1: Papal Recognition

Hessian idea 3: Welcome the Reformers

Kazani idea 1: Steppe Tolerance

Malvi idea 2: Malvi Art & Architecture

Permian idea 6: Komi Tolerance

Urbinate idea 4: A Humanist Court

Zaporozhian idea 6: Steppe Tolerance — — +20% Ayutthayan traditions Bamberger idea 1: Bishop of Bamberg

East Frisian idea 3: Center of Religious Thought

Javan idea 1: Candi Shrines

Karamanid idea 6: Home of the Whirling Dervishes

Burmese idea 3: Nat Worship

West African idea 4: Ancestors and Crescent — Humanist-Aristocratic: Enlightened Aristocracy

Religious-Diplomatic: Policy of Calculated Delay

Religious-Offensive: The Anti-Heresy Act +15% — Luccan idea 1: Mending the Papal Schisms

Smolenskian idea 1: Smolenskian Resolve — — +10% — Ansbach idea 3: Franconian Reformers

Bayreuther idea 4: Franconian Reformers

Gond idea 2: Tribal Religion

Highlander idea 4: Episcopalianism

Pueblo idea 6: Clown Societies — —

Religious unity directly affects the following:

for each percentage point of religious unity:[1]

+0.01 Monthly fervor +0.05 Maximum absolutism +5% Clergy loyalty equilibrium +5% Brahmins loyalty equilibrium

for each percentage point of religious unity below 100%:[2]

+1.0% Stability cost modifier +0.03 National unrest −1.0% Church power −0.01 Yearly devotion +0.001 Yearly corruption

Tolerance [ edit ]

Countries have three tolerance values. These tolerance values are national, but have provincial effects depending on the province's religion, relative to the state religion.

Each point of positive tolerance gives:[3]

−1 Local unrest

Each point of negative tolerance gives:[4]

+1.25 Local unrest −10% Local tax modifier −10% Local goods produced modifier

Additionally, positive tolerance of heretics and heathens allows those provinces to contribute to religious unity (see above).

Note that there are some national ideas which remove all penalties for having negative tolerance.

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies yes Colonial traditions

Texan traditions

Vermont traditions Hungarian idea 7: Create the Estates General

Kiwi idea 1: Maori Seats

Piratical idea 1: Religious Apathy

Rothenburg idea 1: Zarfat Registry — —

Tolerance of the true faith [ edit ]

This refers to the state religion. For example, if the state religion is Catholic, Catholic provinces will use this tolerance value. The base value of tolerance of the true faith is +3, and there is no maximum value.

Ideas and policies that affect tolerance of the true faith:

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +3 Byzantine traditions — — — +2 Ladakh traditions

Lan Xang traditions

Laotian traditions

Leonese traditions

Lusatian traditions

Québécois traditions

Romanian traditions

Sukhothai traditions

Tapuian traditions

Tirhuti traditions

Trierian traditions Religious idea 4: Devoutness *Ainu idea 6: Yukar Al-Haasa idea 2: Lord of the Bedouin of the East

Anhalt idea 3: Incorporation of the Bishopric

Amago idea 6: Kizuki

Antemoro idea 5: Religious Control

Ardabili idea 3: Leader of all Shiites

Asakura idea 6: Control of Buddhist Sects

Asturian idea 2: Camino de Santiago

Bamberger idea 6: Vierzehnheiligen

Berg idea 7: Respecting the Autonomy of the Clergy

Bharathi idea 5: Ganga

Bremish idea 2: Memories of Verden

Cham idea 1: Memory of the My Son Temples

Chernihiv idea 6: Renovate the Transfiguration Cathedral

Chosokabe idea 7: Support of the Temples

Cornish idea 3: Prayer Book Traditionalism

Dithmarscher idea 2: Kirchspiele

Farsi idea 1: Land of the Persians

French ducal idea 4: Religious Conviction

Fulani Jihad idea 5: Islamic Scholarship

Garhwali idea 6: Protecting the Land of the Gods

Garjati idea 6: Jagannath Cult

Georgian idea 3: Legacy of Saint Nino

Greek idea 1: Greek Orthodox Faith

Hejazi idea 1: Custodian of the Two Holy Cities

Herzegovinian idea 1: Eparchy

Interlacustrine idea 4: Holy Lineages

Khorasani idea 6: Great Sheiks of Khorasan

Kitabatake idea 2: Blessing of Amaterasu

Lan Na idea 4: The White Elephant

Lorraine idea 6: Trois-Évêchés

Manipur idea 4: Mayek

Medri Bahri idea 2: Christian Legacy

Miao idea 1: Sacrificing to the Spirits

Moravian idea 2: Religious Sanctuary

Mossi idea 6: Honoring the Masks

Münster idea 1: Great Procession

Najdi idea 7: Enforce Tawhid

Northumbrian idea 3: Cradle of British Christianity

Offaly idea 4: The Fear of God

Ogasawara idea 7: Zenko-ji

Orleanaise idea 3: Faith and Devotion

Papal idea 1: Ecclesiastical Primacy

Pegu idea 3: Dhammazedi

Perugian idea 3: Meeting of the Five Conclaves

Pueblo idea 6: Clown Societies

Rajputana idea 5: Protectors of the Dharma

Rostov idea 3: Ecclesiastical Center

Sami idea 5: Defend the Noaidi Traditions

Samtskhe idea 7: A Sacred Land

Songhai idea 6: Sharia

Tokugawa idea 6: Toshogu

Transylvanian idea 6: Unitarian Zeal

Trent idea 1: Prince-Bishop

Tumbuka idea 4: Office of the Mulwa

Tyrconnell idea 3: Religious Patrons

Ulmer idea 7: Finish the Ulm Minster

Württemberger idea 5: Grosse Kirchenordnung

Yarkandi idea 4: Empower the Khojas

Yi idea 5: Promote the Bimoism Mushasha ambition — +1 Clanricarde traditions

Thomondian traditions Croatian idea 4: Antemurale Christianitatis

Dhundhari idea 3: Restore Hindu Ceremonies

Genevan idea 4: Spiritual Leader of Geneva

Gujarati Princedom idea 5: Protect the Dwarkadhish Temple

Hatakeyama idea 3: Mount Koya

Kanem Bornuan idea 4: House of Kanem

Khmer idea 2: Theravada Buddhism

Kievan idea 5: Center Of Orthodox Church

Montenegrin idea 2: Metropolitanate of Montenegro

Muscovite idea 3: Seat of Metropolitan Bishop

Nepalese Princedom idea 3: Institute New Festivals

Prussian idea 1: Legacy of the Teutonic Knight

Ruthenian idea 7: Birth of Russian Orthodoxy

Saluzzo idea 6: Chiesa San Giovanni

Sardinian idea 2: Papal Restoration

Sindhi idea 4: Expand the Makli Necropolis

Swahili idea 3: Great Mosque of Kilwa

Teutonic idea 7: One State, One Religion

Theodorian idea 7: Cave Monasteries

Three Leagues idea 2: The League of God's House

Tunisian idea 7: Tunisian Caliphate

Utrecht idea 1: Devotio Moderna

Vindhyan idea 3: A Sacred Land

Welsh idea 7: Welsh Church — —

Additional modifiers:

+0.5 for ‘Trading in’ incense

for ‘Trading in’ incense –2 for ruler with ‘Sinner’ personality

Tolerance of heretics [ edit ]

This refers to different religions within the same religious group. For example, if the state religion is Catholic, the religion group is Christian, and provinces that are Protestant, Reformed, Coptic, Orthodox, or Anglican will use this tolerance value. The base value of tolerance of heretics is −2. The possible maximum value is +3.

Ideas and policies that affect tolerance of heretics:

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +5 — American idea 1: Freedom of Religion — — +4 Athenian traditions

Bosnian traditions

Cypriot traditions

Epirote traditions

Naxian traditions — — — +3 Dali traditions

Lithuanian traditions Ajami idea 2: In Honor of Ali

Bohemian idea 1: Compacta of Prague

Dutch idea 5: Embrace Humanism

Lusatian idea 6: Rights for all Religions

Qara Qoyunlu 3: In Honor of Ali

Saxon idea 4: Wittenberg University

Transylvanian idea 5: Patent of Toleration Polish ambition — +2 Al-Haasa traditions Humanist idea 3: Ecumenism

Alaskan idea 5: Alaskan Religious Diversity

Baden idea 4: Cuius Regio, Eius Religio

Burgundian idea 6: Allow Freedom of Worship

Canadian idea 5: The Quebec Act

Dortmund idea 7: Reinoldikirche

East Frisian idea 5: Refuge of the Mennonites

French idea 7: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

Ilkhanid idea 2: Favor Sufism

Kurdish idea 2: Li Gora Gawirî Kurd Misilman e

Luccan idea 1: Mending the Papal Schisms

Lur idea 4: Popular Religion

Pomeranian idea 4: Religious Freedom

Ruthenian idea 2: Foreign Influences

Swiss idea 2: Swiss Tolerance

Thüringian idea 3: Protector of Reformers

Utsunomiya idea 7: Mount Nikko Gelre ambition Religious-Plutocratic: The Tolerance Act +1 — Albanian idea 6: Albanian Tolerance

Arawak idea 4: Tribal Tolerance

Circassian idea 7: Religious Flexibility

Frisian idea 6: Difference of Opinion

Garhwali idea 7: Crossroads of Faith

Kikuchi idea 5: Religious Coexistence

Ouchi idea 6: Welcome the Westerners

Prussian idea 7: Religious Toleration

Sligonian idea 7: Pragmatism Over All

Tibetan idea 4: The Way of Virtue

Urbinate idea 4: A Humanist Court

Vijayanagar idea 4: Tolerance

Westphalian idea 6: Religious Toleration — —

Additional modifiers:

+1 for ruler with ‘Tolerant’ personality

Heretic conversion events [ edit ]

Tolerance of heretics of ≥ 2 will allow provinces to randomly convert to those heretic religions. The mean time to happen is 5000 months, lowered by Innovative Ideas and having a neighboring province with the new religion while increased by having the theocracy government type. Provinces with the "Religious Zeal" modifier will not receive these events at all.

A province is more likely to convert via event to a particular religion if a neighboring province has that religion. Adjacency is not required for most conversions. However, the following conversions only occur if a neighboring province has the new religion:

Orthodox ↔ other Christian

Buddhist, Shinto → Confucian

In addition, only Japanese-culture provinces can convert to Shinto as the result of an event.

Tolerance of heathens [ edit ]

This refers to religions of other religious groups. For example, if the state religion group is Christian, provinces that are of Muslim, Eastern, or Pagan religious groups will use this tolerance value. The base value of tolerance of heathens is −3. The possible maximum value is +3.

Ideas and policies that affect Tolerance of heathens:

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +3 Ottoman traditions

Semien traditions Andalusian idea 3: Alh Ulh Dhimma

Granada idea 1: People of the Book

Rûmi idea 4: Sultan of Rûm

Siddi idea 1: Goma — — +2 Javan traditions

Kaffan traditions

Kazani traditions

Malian traditions

Pagarruyung traditions

Permian traditions Humanist idea 7: Humanist Tolerance

Arakanese idea 2: Rohingya Immigrants

Carib idea 6: Religious Syncretism

French idea 7: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

Golden Horde idea 7: Religious Pragmatism

Guarani idea 4: Jesuit Conversions

Ito idea 6: Sympathy for New Faiths

Kutai idea 2: Muslim Trading Communities

Laotian idea 3: Satsana Phi

Luzon idea 4: Tagalog Syncretism

Malayan sultanate idea 2: Sufi Legacy

Mindanao idea 1: An Islamicized Barangay

Mysorean idea 3: Religious Tolerance

Omani idea 3: Association With Unbelievers

Sadiyan idea 2: Crossroad of Religions

Tripuran idea 3: Religious Syncretism Samtskhe ambition — +1 — Albanian idea 6: Albanian Tolerance

Circassian idea 7: Religious Flexibility

Frisian idea 6: Difference of Opinion

Garhwali idea 7: Crossroads of Faith

Kikuchi idea 5: Religious Coexistence

Ouchi idea 6: Welcome the Westerners

Sligonian idea 7: Pragmatism Over All

Tibetan idea 4: The Way of Virtue

Vijayanagar idea 4: Tolerance

Westphalian idea 6: Religious Toleration — —

Additional modifiers:

+1 for ruler with ‘Tolerant’ personality

Defender of the Faith [ edit ]

Each Christian or Muslim denomination can have one Defender of the Faith. It costs 500 ducats for a country to claim the title. Countries with female rulers, regencies or which are subject nations cannot claim the title. Being Defender of the Faith gives the following modifiers (without ):

+1 Missionary +5% Morale of armies +5% Morale of navies −0.03 Monthly war exhaustion +1 Yearly prestige +5% Technology cost +1 Yearly papal influence +0.5 Yearly devotion

Additionally, all other countries of the same religion get a +10 “Defender of Faith” relations boost with the title holder.

Countries automatically call the Defender of the Faith of their religion to arms if attacked by a nation of another religion. Since patch 1.8, it seems the Defender of the Faith gets a call to arms only for countries on the same continent or sharing their border. The Defender of the Faith doesn't get a call to arms if the country attacked is a co-belligerent (e.g., if France is the Catholic Defender of the Faith and Venice (Catholic) is allied with Serbia (Orthodox), then if Ottomans (Sunni) attack Serbia and make Venice co-belligerent, France doesn't get a call to arms).

Catholic countries that hold the Defender of the Faith title cannot be excommunicated by the Papacy, regardless of relations.

The Defender of the Faith loses the title, but no prestige, if they refuse or lose the war.

If Defender of the Faith refuses a call to war, it gets a 5-years truce with the country that was calling. Therefore, if your ally is Defender of the Faith and you have a common enemy of the "defended" religion, this ally will not be able to join you in an offensive war against this enemy, as AI wouldn't break a truce.

Note: If the title holder ends any war with a result other than a white peace or victory, the title will be lost.

Depending on the strength of the Faith (based on number of countries), multiple tiers of Defender of the Faith are available:[5]

Amount of countries Effects – Defender of the Faith Effects – All countries with the true faith 1–5 +1 Missionary

Missionary −10% Missionary maintenance cost 5–10 +1 Missionary

Missionary −10% Missionary maintenance cost

Missionary maintenance cost +0.5 Yearly prestige

Yearly prestige −0.03 Monthly war exhaustion 10–20 +1 Missionary

Missionary −20% Missionary maintenance cost

Missionary maintenance cost +5% Morale of armies

Morale of armies +5% Morale of navies

Morale of navies +1.0 Yearly prestige 20–50 +1 Missionary

Missionary −20% Missionary maintenance cost

Missionary maintenance cost +5% Morale of armies

Morale of armies +5% Morale of navies

Morale of navies +1.0 Yearly prestige

Yearly prestige −0.03 Monthly war exhaustion

Monthly war exhaustion +20% Manpower in true faith provinces 50+ +1 Missionary

Missionary −20% Missionary maintenance cost

Missionary maintenance cost +5% Morale of armies

Morale of armies +5% Morale of navies

Morale of navies +1.0 Yearly prestige

Yearly prestige −0.03 Monthly war exhaustion

Monthly war exhaustion +20% Manpower in true faith provinces −20% Missionary maintenance cost[6]

Achievements [ edit ]

God Tier Become a Tier 5 Defender of the Faith as a nation that is neither Catholic nor Sunni.

Conversion [ edit ]

Province conversion [ edit ]

The most common way to convert provinces is the use of missionaries, but there are also several other methods. If you have the Cradle of Civilization DLC , you have the ability to directly convert your subjects' provinces to your subjects' State religion.[7]

Missionaries are envoys that can convert a province to a nation's official religion. Missionaries slowly convert provinces over time: each month, the effective missionary strength in that province is added as ongoing progress, and when it reaches 100% the province is converted. If strength is insufficient (less than 0%), the province will never convert (although the missionary will not lose progress). An active missionary in a province will increase the unrest there by +6%. [8]

Each country has 1 missionary by default. More can be obtained through the following:

Ideas and policies:

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +1 Asturian traditions

Bamberger traditions

Colognian traditions

Divine traditions

Sindhi traditions Religious idea 1: Missionary Schools

Ajuuraan idea 3: Gareen Imams

Castilian idea 2: Spanish Inquisition

Circassian idea 4: Franciscan Missionaries

Ethiopian idea 5: The Ark of the Covenant

Fulani Jihad idea 1: Wandering Scholars

Herzegovinian idea 2: Saint Sava

Jerusalem idea 4: Land of the Heathen

Lotharingian idea 6: Land of Bishops

Münster idea 3: Founding of Monasteries

Mushasha idea 2: Messianic Legacy of Muhammad bin Falah

Najdi idea 2: Hanbali School

Otomo idea 5: Christian Converts

Perugian idea 5: Heartbeat of Christianity

Teutonic idea 6: Promote Prussian Bishops

Tyrconnell idea 4: St Patrick's Purgatory

Utrecht idea 5: City of Churches Bremish ambition

Leinster ambition

Munster ambition

Najdi ambition

Northumbrian ambition —

Decisions and events:

Event modifier Trigger Duration +2 Counter-Reformation Decision: “Embrace the Counter-Reformation” until one of the four “The Counter-Reformation Ends” events. +1 Melchior Klesl Austrian event: “Melchior Klesl” Option: ‘Such devotion! We have need of this man on the privy council.’ until ruler changes.

Missionary maintenance [ edit ]

The player can adjust the missionary maintenance cost by a slider on the economy interface between zero and full funding. Reducing the funding reduces missionary strength linearly, up to −5% missionary strength without funding. At full funding the costs of an active missionary per month is calculated based on the development and local autonomy of the province as follows[9]:

The following ideas reduce missionary maintenance cost:

Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies −50% — Religious idea 6: Inquisition — — −25% Jerusalem traditions — — —

Base missionary strength is 2%. Modifiers that increase strength include:

Advisors: +2% from an Inquisitor advisor

from an Inquisitor advisor Stability: +0.5% for each point of positive stability

for each point of positive stability Piety: Up to +3% for Muslim states that are inclined towards Mysticism

Up to for Muslim states that are inclined towards Mysticism Patriarch Authority: Up to +2% for Orthodox states that have Patriarch Authority.

Up to for Orthodox states that have Patriarch Authority. Coptic Blessing: +1.5% for Coptic states that have the Send Monks to Establish Monasteries blessing. ( Rights of Man only)

for Coptic states that have the Send Monks to Establish Monasteries blessing. ( Rights of Man only) Building: +3% for a Cathedral

for a Cathedral Decisions: A number of national decisions increase (or decrease) missionary strength.

A number of national decisions increase (or decrease) missionary strength. Events: Many events give a temporary bonus (or penalty) to missionary strength.

Many events give a temporary bonus (or penalty) to missionary strength. Province's current religion: +2% in pagan provinces.

in pagan provinces. Holy Roman Empire: +1% for being the dominant religion in the Holy Roman Empire

for being the dominant religion in the Holy Roman Empire State Edict: +1% enacting Enforce Religious Unity (provinces within the stated area)

enacting Enforce Religious Unity (provinces within the stated area) Converting religions through the Religion tab gives a +10% "Religious Zeal" bonus for ten years, but only to converting heretics, not heathens.

"Religious Zeal" bonus for ten years, but only to converting heretics, not heathens. Several ideas also affect missionary strength:





Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +3.0% — Religious idea 3: Divine Supremacy

Byzantine idea 7: Restore the Ecumenical Patriarch — — +2.0% Bremish traditions

Jerusalem traditions

Najdi traditions Armenian idea 1: Apostolic Church

Austrian idea 5: Edict of Restitution

Asturian idea 5: Millenarian Revival

Castilian idea 2: Spanish Inquisition

Divine idea 4: Let No Man Tolerate the Witch

Hindustani idea 6: Patronize Sufi Missionaries

Javan idea 3: Dharmasastra

Kanem Bornuan idea 4: House of Kanem

Moldavian idea 5: Metropolis of Moldavia

Nubian idea 5: Nubian Religious Unity

Nuremberger idea 5: Franconian Centre of Reformation

Pagarruyung idea 1: Tantric Legacy

Palatinate idea 5: Heidelberg Catechism

Rigan idea 4: Denounce Witchcraft

Savoyard idea 4: Crush the Vaudois

Sindhi idea 2: Bab ul Islam

Sumatran idea 2: Porch of Mecca

Teutonic idea 4: Assume Religious Authority

Trent idea 7: Trent Religious Unity

Utrecht idea 5: City of Churches Tsutsui ambition — +1.0% Ajuuraan traditions

Lan Xang traditions

Tibetan traditions Air idea 7: Ineslemen Teachings

Arabian idea 4: Spreading the Prophet's Word

Athenian idea 6: Preserve Archbishop of Athens

Breton idea 4: Breton Catholicism

Fulani Jihad idea 3: Fulani Jihads

Genevan idea 5: Calvin's Laws

German idea 5: Cuius Regio, Eius Religio

Hejazi idea 6: Hajj

Icelandic idea 3: Christian Identity

Khivan idea 4: Djuma Mosque

Kievan idea 5: Center Of Orthodox Church

Leinster idea 1: Legacy of Palladius

Muscovite idea 3: Seat of Metropolitan Bishop

Novgorod idea 2: City of Churches

Québécois idea 7: Jesuit Missions

Saluzzo idea 6: Chiesa San Giovanni

Sukhothai idea 4: Wat Si Sawai Sami ambition Religious-Aristocratic: The Witchcraft Act

Religious-Diplomatic: Policy of Calculated Delay

Religious-Espionage: Enforce Religious Law

Religious-Trade: Religiously Sponsored Guilds

In addition, a few ideas specifically affect missionary strength when converting heretics, but have no effect when converting heathens.





Traditions Ideas Bonuses Policies +3% — Bavarian idea 4: Establish the Geistlicher Rat

Colognian idea 5: Pivotal Ecclesiastic Territory

Rûmi idea 7: Protector of Dar al-Islam — Religious-Offensive: The Anti-Heresy Act +2% — Aachen idea 5: Expel Heretical Officials

Anhalt idea 7: The Confessor

Ardabili idea 4: Conversion of the Masses

Bamberger idea 5: Witch Burner

Bulgarian idea 2: Root Out the Heresies

Flemish idea 3: Beeldenstorm

Irish idea 4: Loyal Catholics

Manx idea 6: Burn the Heretic

Mushasha idea 7: Sufis and Shias of the Middle East

Ulster idea 5: Catholic Ascendency Finnish ambition

Münster ambition — +1% Kievan traditions Clevian idea 3: Avid Reformers

Herzegovinian idea 2: Saint Sava

Welsh idea 7: Welsh Church — —

Things that decrease this speed include:

Province's current religion: −2% in Coptic, Muslim and Shinto provinces.

in Coptic, Muslim and Shinto provinces. Province's current religion: −1% in Orthodox and Sikh provinces.

in Orthodox and Sikh provinces. Culture: −2% for non-accepted cultures.

for non-accepted cultures. Territories : provinces in territories get −2% . The penalty is only removed when the province is fully cored.

: provinces in territories get . The penalty is removed when the province is fully cored. Trade company provinces get −100%

provinces get Provincial development: −0.1% for each point of a province development level.

for each point of a province development level. Religious Centers: Rome, Mecca, the initial Sikh province and all Protestant and Reformed Centers of Reformation get −5% .

Rome, Mecca, the initial Sikh province and all Protestant and Reformed Centers of Reformation get . Recently converted provinces get −100% , called Religious Zeal for 30 years.

Centers of reformation [ edit ]

The first three European nations to convert to Protestant, the first three to convert to Reformed, and a British nation if it takes one of the appropriate choices to convert to Anglicanism, have a random European province designated as a Center of Reformation. These centers of reformation will automatically convert nearby provinces to their religion. Provinces converted by a center of reformation get the −100% religious zeal modifier to missionary strength in that province for 30 years. Missionaries can't work in the same province that is being converted by a center of reformation. Each center of reformation can only convert one province at a time. Players will receive a notification if all provinces within the center's range have been converted to its religion.

A center of reformation is destroyed if its province is converted to another religion. The primary method for a Catholic nation to slow or stop the spread of the reformation is to conquer and convert a province with a center of reformation, thereby eliminating its missionary effect on neighboring provinces.

A center of reformation will cease to convert provinces after start of the Age of Absolutism.

Conversion using trade policy [ edit ]

Muslim nations can enable "Propagate religion" policy in trade nodes inside a trade company region, provided that they control at least 50% of trade power in this node. While this policy is active, it will work the same way as a center of reformation.

National conversion [ edit ]

There are several different ways a country may change religion.

By direct action [ edit ]

Some religions may convert among certain heresies/sects via the Religion panel, at a cost of 100 prestige. This is true for Catholic, Protestant and Reformed Christians, Hindus and Sikhs once Sikhism is unlocked, as well as all Buddhists. Conversion by this method will give a whopping 10% missionary strength against Heretics for ten years, making conversion of provinces of the old faith quite rapid, unless it is entirely blocked due to local Religious Zeal modifiers. Sikhs can also convert to Sunni or Shia Islam this way.

Conversion is also possible through decisions in some cases, which causes a -4 stability hit (except for Sikh or Sunni/Shia conversion, which only reduces it by 2). With the Sword and Crescent DLC, Sunni and Shiite (but not Ibadi) Muslims may convert to the other denomination if both their capital and the majority of their province development follows the other denomination.

Without Mandate of Heaven, Japanese daimyos, but not the Shogun or Japan itself, may convert to Catholicism by decision if the majority of their territories are Catholic, which can happen following certain events in the 16th century. With Mandate of Heaven, the Open outcome for the Ikko - Ikki, Neo-Confucianism, and Spread of Christianity Incidents will unlock a decision to convert to Mahayana, Confucianism, and Catholic respectively.

Pagan nations that are not Tengri may convert to any non-Pagan faith if they control a province of that faith; Tengri nations are limited to Vajrayana Buddhism. Muslims owning a Sikh province may decide to convert to Sikhism - this decision probably mostly exists to allow Punjab to easily follow its historical religion.

By event [ edit ]

Totemist and Animist pagans get events to convert to Catholic, Protestant, or Reformed Christianity if they have neighbors of the appropriate denomination and a sufficient positive opinion with that neighbor. Tengri pagans with a dominant secondary faith may be prompted to change to it or face a -3 stability hit; they also have event chains that end in conversion to their secondary religion.

Kongo and Ming have special event chains to convert to Catholicism.

A nation in the British region, typically England, can get an event, based on the wives of Henry VIII, to convert to Anglicanism with the Rule Britannia DLC.

Some nations, for example Sweden, have unique events enabling them to change religion.

Countries that have the Indian Sultanate government by default, but are neither Muslim nor were forcefully converted to another religion, will quickly be forced to choose by event between conversion to the appropriate branch of Islam, or facing a large amount of rebels and a stability hit. This generally only is the case if they have been released as a vassal or in a peace deal, which will likely make them Hindu initially, because Indian sultanates rarely convert the local religion, and indeed have no need to due to their large bonus to heathen tolerance. AI will always choose to convert.

Forced conversion by other nations [ edit ]

A nation can force a heretic country to change their state religion as part of a peace deal. The revolutionary target may also do this to heathens. Without an appropriate casus belli such as "Cleansing of Heresy" or "Religious Conformance" (unique to the Holy Roman Emperor against HRE members), this will have the same war score cost as annexing the nation. When a country is converted this way, only the state religion and the capital province's religion change. Note that at 100 war score, you can make the defeated opponent force convert you this way even if he wouldn't want that as part of a peace deal.

Once the religion of the Holy Roman Empire has been locked, the emperor can also request a prince to change their state religion depending on their opinion of the Emperor. Similarly to when forcing a religion of an enemy country, the prince has its capital converted while the rest of the provinces remained unaffected.

With the Common Sense DLC, suzerains may force their subject nations to change religions if they follow a different faith. If heretic, this gives +50 liberty desire, and if heathen +100 liberty desire, both gradually ticking down.

Forced conversion by rebels [ edit ]

Nations can support religious zealots in other countries. These rebels convert a province's religion to the one they represent when occupation is achieved.

Supporting religious zealots is only possible if the desired religion is present in the target nation and is the likely rebel type in a province with unrest above 0. If there are no such provinces in the target nation, one way to achieve it is to sell the target a province of the correct religion.

Generally the nation will be able to overpower the rebels if left to its own devices, so it is critical to support them militarily. This can be done by declaring war against the target nation using the "Support Rebels" casus belli.

A nation that is broken by religious rebels, or that accepts their demands, will convert to the rebels' religion provided that the rebels' religion is the plurality religion in terms of development. For most countries, giving in to religious rebels is the only way to change between religious groups.

However, only Animist rebels, not other types, can convert a non-Pagan nation to a Pagan faith. Thus Animism must serve as a springboard to conversion to other pagan faiths.

Strategy [ edit ]