Civil Religion In America Analysis

In this extract Belah defines civil religion not as the uncritical worship or allegiance to a nation state by its citizenry. Rather, it is a group of transcendental moral principles which function as a north star or frame of reference for a nations polis. In the case of the United States, the author explains that these principles are interwoven into the fabric of American identity. These “elements of religious orientation,” in addition to being expressed through both informal and formal ceremonies and rituals, can be in part be credited for its continuous role in crafting and shaping Americas institutions.(cite)

A question which must be asked is why was this concept of American Civil religion, although so pervasive, was not explored in depth before Robert Belay’s 1960s article Civil religion in America? Simply stated, pre-1970’s America, in particular the sixties, was drastically different than what we see today.
According to Gallop, approximately 70 percent of US citizens during the sixties were self-proclaimed Christians. It was the shared belief by many Christian fundamentalist and political conservatives of that day that
regardless of the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state, Christianity was the national religion. Many Americans of the sixties resembled in both belief and action the Tea Party movement present in the contemporary American political scene.

We must also remember that Belah’s work was published in one of the most volatile eras in American history. The era of McCarthyism had recently ended, the Cold War was at its peak, John F. Kennedy had been recently assassinated, and African Americans were in the midst of struggling for their withheld rights. For Bellah or any scholar to publish a work, which could be misconstrued as “threatening" or “attacking” Christianity’s central role, was almost certain career suicide. Bella must be lauded for touching the third rail and going were few other would dare to go.

In his attempt to define Civil religion, Bellah highlights a pervasive theme in America discourse and identity, namely the idea that America and her citizens are obliged to carry out “gods will on earth”.
This belief does indeed trace its roots to John Calving’s concept of the protestant work ethic. This idea, which upon conception was intended for positive ends, has been often times coopted for nefarious purposes. Some may argue that this belief that the United States is divinely mandated to carry out god’s work has been used as both an impetus and pretext to gain and expand by some American leaders. Some may argue that the Manifest doctrine and its link to the extermination of the Native Americans, the annexation of Guantanamo Bay and the ousting of combative heads of state are physical manifestations of this abstract
belief.

A question which I result with is whether this idea of Civil religion is applicable to all nation states? It is the case that on the Asian and African continent, many of the nations existing today were artificially created during the imperialist expansion of Western European states. What resulted was the grouping together of ethnic groups and tribes, which ordinarily would not have been together and the separation of peoples who would. Can a country with over 300 different ethnic groups, no shared language, and with varying interpretations of morality still have what Robert Bellah defined as Civil Religion?