Civil Religion In America

Religion has been long intertwined within the roots of the nation since the conception of the United States. It began with the Puritans who fled religious persecution and settled in the New World, to the Founding Fathers who cited God in the Declaration of Independence. While the constitution legally separates church and state, God and religious symbols have always played a part in all major political events and institutions. Robert Bellah refers to this phenomenon in his work, “Civil Religion”, as civil religion, a term he borrows from Jean Jacques Rousseau. According to Bellah, civil religion is an attempt at defining the American experience through a set of religious beliefs, symbols and rituals. Civil Religion has been used to promote goodwill

Washington’s Farwell Address is a utilitarian example of civil religion. It is also a prophetic example of legitimization of civil religion. Through references to religious symbolism and roots, leaders of the nation have enforced and upheld standards that they believe the American people should be following. Washington in his famous address to the nation cites unity, independence, liberty, and prosperity among values and goals that the American people should strive for and defend. Washington in his farewell address as the first President of the nation, is preparing the people to live and participate in a democratic republic. Another prophetic example throughout history would be civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who similarly to other prophetic figures would speak for the nation and establish the tenets of civil religion by advocating that Americans live up to the standards they put in

Frohnen claims that Bellah has an agenda which would undermine individualism. Bellah advocates for American civil religion to transcend itself and become part of a world civil religion. Bellah ignores natural law in favor of Puritan ideals. His goal is a true egalitarian society and he attempts to steer away from a basis for natural law rooted in the private individual. He refers back to the Puritans instead because according to Puritan ideology, all good is public good. Bellah aims to follow in the steps of the famous philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville and move away from individualism and toward common sentiments and action. Frohnen’s criticism lies in the fact that by advocating for this radical form of egalitarianism, Bellah also seeks to undermine the same traditions of thought and practices he values. For Tocqueville, selfishness arose out of the progress of equality. Frohnen makes the case that religion can become tool of the general will and majority domination can be a real concern. Grouping experiences and distinctions together as Bellah does, results in only economic distinctions. The materialism of modern capitalism can be noted as responsible for the departure from egalitarian public service. Bellah’s overall argument according to Frohnen, is simply a façade for his support for socialism, a political system that Frohnen did not advocate