Divine Legitimacy and Paradigm Shifts in the American Civic Religion
By Andreas Chenvainu Image: “Legacy of Hope,” by Jon McNaughton via Twitter This painting is Legacy of Hope , a work by the artist John McNaughton, who became famous among conservatives and infamous among liberals for his nationalist, religiously charged paintings of Donald Trump. While its critics tended to paint this Trump worship as an aberration, Robert Bellah’s concept of the American civic religion explains its existence and places it as part of a larger pattern in American politics. Loosely adapted from protestant christianity, the narrative of the American civic religion emphasizes the United States as a nation legitimized by God, both blessed with a unique place in history and burdened with unique duties to enact. This broad description, however, has changed from era to era, Bellah argues. The original version he identifies is narrative of the “American Israel” as a haven from oppression, followed by the redemption narrative of the American Civil war and the fight to end...