3 minute read
When it comes to church-state dynamics, Paul showed us the way by appealing to his citizenship in the Roman Empire while reserving his allegiance for Christ and His Kingdom. Sadly, Christian culture in the U.S. has taken another path. We suffer from a chronic condition of adjective-noun confusion. An adjective is a description. A noun is a source of identity. That distinction is crucial. Far too many American Christians think of themselves as Christian Americans.1 We are to be American Christians; that is, Christians who happen to be from the United States of America.
Let’s not be naive enough to think this adjective-noun confusion is accidental or benign. It’s not. The Founding Fathers had many differences but were largely united by an understanding that the prevalence of a unifying religious faith could effectively leverage the masses for their common cause. Not unlike today, these politicians saw Christianity as a morally and politically pragmatic tool to help birth and unify a nation regardless of whether they themselves affirmed Christian faith. To stoke patriotic loyalty, subtly blend it with religious myths, symbols, and language.2
According to Wikipedia, American civil religion is “a sociological theory that a nonsectarian quasi-religious faith exists within the United States with sacred symbols drawn from national history. Scholars have portrayed it as a cohesive force, a common set of values that foster social and cultural integration.” Having school children say the Pledge of Allegiance each day? Singing “God Bless the USA” before football games in rural areas? Having an American flag in the back of the church’s stage/altar? It’s all American civil religion. It’s deliberate and it’s not innocuous.
Look carefully. You’ll find American civil religion anywhere we conflate patriotism, our unique set of socio-economic views, the sacred status of pop culture (often sports), and public ritual, then baptize it all this under an umbrella of half-assed Christianity.3 In an ever-increasingly secular age, it’s through American civil religion that many people find their sense of identity, purpose, meaning, and even their weekly routine. As baptism and communion are to the Christian faith, so the National Anthem and the “Support our troops!” mantra are to American civil religion.4
The original beatniks weren’t a fan of American Christianity’s cultural hegemony, so it stands to reason they weren’t fans of American civil religion.5 Here beatnik Christianity follows in the legacy of the Red Letter Christians. Tony Campolo famously said, “Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn’t do much to the manure but it sure does ruin the ice cream.” He’s right. The co-mingling of religious and political identity in the form of American civil religion does little to harm the state, but it does unspeakable harm to The Way of Jesus.6
That is a grave theological error. ↩
It makes the masses feel godly and patriotic! Win-win, right? Minor problem: we cannot serve two masters.↩
Also known as Moralistc Therapeutic Deism. Thanks for coining the term, Christian Smith.↩
There’s a fascinating phenomenon of American atheists who devoutly practice American civil religion. Whether they lean more to the left or the right, they treat the U.S. and its symbolism with a reverent awe and a sense of extreme gratitude that’s religious in nature. It’s almost like the United States is the deity, or a vague spiritual force, who has given them the freedom to experience affluence, express themselves, etc.↩
Admittedly, I could be wrong. All I know for sure is my research found no evidence of them explicitly commenting on the matter.↩
I’ve got nothin’ against grilling out and watching fireworks, but processing with an American flag and singing patriotic songs during a Sunday morning service? Think about it. The context is worship. The symbolism of these actions literally means you’re worshiping your country together with your God. That’s called American civil religion and it’s straight-up idolatrous.↩
