President Obama's Swearing-In Ceremony and Civil Religion

 

In this image, former President Barack Obama stands in the Blue Room in the White House as he is being privately sweared into office for his second term as president of the United States. His wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha stand with him as he recites the Oath of Office with one hand on Michelle's family bible and one hand raised in the air. The Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers this oath while wearing his traditional judges robe. The Obama family are all in formal clothing (a suit, dress shoes, dresses, tights, and flats), appropriate for a ceremony like this, and standing excitedly and somewhat nervously. The Blue Room is decorated in very official-looking elements including a blue and gold rug, blue and gold (with tassels) curtains, large bright white windows, blue and gold bordered wallpaper, two portraits of former presidents in gold picture frames, an American flag, and a flag with the United States seal.

In Robert N. Bellah's article titled "Civil Religion in America," he argues that American's have shared rituals, traditions, symbols, languages, and beliefs that come together to form a civil religion. In this argument, he explains that these elements form a sense of unity, togetherness, and belonging in Americans that allows them to feel connected to America and its history as a whole. American national holidays like Memorial Day, President's Day, and Independence Day, and American sayings like "In God We Trust" and the use of God in the Pledge of Allegiance, all signify the lawful establishment of purely American rituals and the use of religious mentions of God without conflating it with religions like Christianity or Judaism. Furthermore, Bellah explains that presidents greatly perpetuate this establishment of the US as a civil religion by almost being its spokesperson—this can be seen from the example of President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address where he mention's God quite a bit. He mentions God in a way that is not specific to any one religion but in a way that highlights the American people as the one's God has chosen to help and the one's God has chosen to lead. This evokes a sense of solidarity in the American people, uses America's history/symbols to evoke motivation in the people, and allows for the convergence of American and religious identities.

In the photo above of President Obama's swearing-in ceremony, there are a few religious as well as American symbols that go in line with Bellah's argument of civil religion. Most prominent in the photo, Obama has his hand on the bible, a family bible that is, and is reciting the Oath of Office which ends with the line "So help me God." These are both religious symbols that are imbedded in the traditions of the American government. The bible and the oath both serve as objects of promise, honesty, and truth that allow the president to accept his position as protector and keeper of the United States during his term. This evokes a sense of solidarity with the country and its people, and allowance from God, as well as a promise to God to serve the US as best he can. This plays into the shared values of the American people and the nation as a whole, that the president is trying to perpetuate in this acceptance of his position and the steps he takes to accept it. Moreover, both flags in the background of the photo are extremely known symbols of the United States. By having those flags, the bible, and the oath playing key parts in this ceremony, national symbols as well as religious symbols are intersected together to play out civil religion in America.

Image:

Chuck, Kennedy. January 20, 2013. "Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administers the oath of office." From obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. March 28, 2024 (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/01/20/president-obama-and-vice-president-biden-take-oath-office).