American civil religion

E5154

American civil religion is a set of shared, quasi-religious beliefs, symbols, and rituals that sacralize the nation and its institutions in the United States.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf civil religion
religion in the United States
sociological concept
articulatedBy Robert N. Bellah
associatedWith American nationalism
American patriotism
American political culture
centralBelief America as a beacon of freedom
America as a chosen nation
America as a defender of democracy
sacredness of individual rights
sacredness of the Constitution
centralRitual Independence Day celebrations
Memorial Day ceremonies
Pledge of Allegiance
Presidential inauguration
national anthem performance
centralSymbol American flag
Declaration of Independence
Lincoln Memorial
United States Constitution
Washington Monument
country United States
criticizedFor blurring religion and politics
national self-righteousness
describedIn "Civil Religion in America"
fieldOfStudy American studies
political sociology
sociology of religion
hasComponent rituals
shared beliefs
symbols
hasConcept American destiny
civil sacred
martyrdom of fallen soldiers
national mission
sacrifice for the nation
hasDebate compatibility with religious pluralism
relationship to church–state separation
role in legitimizing U.S. foreign policy
hasQuality quasi-religious
influencedBy Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of civil religion
Émile Durkheim
linkedTo American exceptionalism
American founding myths
Puritan covenant theology
civil millennialism
publicationYear 1967
sacralizes American political institutions
the American nation

Referenced by (5)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
American nationalism ("U.S. civil religion")
In God We Trust
associatedWith
American civil religion (""Civil Religion in America"")
describedIn
A Model of Christian Charity
influenced
Robert N. Bellah ("Civil Religion in America")
notableWork

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