A Song of Hope and Division
The image that I selected represents how civil religion serves not only to unify Americans, but also to divide and alienate the nation through political and nationalistic justifications that target more liberal beliefs. When Americans view civil religion in absolutes, adopting a close-minded and aggressive attachment to a narrowed set of underlying values and morals within America, the collective nature of civil religion begins to crumble in a destruction of unity. Two football players kneeling in the foreground, while others around them stand, shows an act of protest against racial inequity and police brutality in America during the National Anthem, a symbol of nationalism, patriotism, and collective pride. The American flag borders the stands, as people are shown standing with their hands over their hearts is an adherence to civil religion and the symbolism of national pride and unity. While the two players are kneeling at the front of the image, their hands are also over their hearts. This image clearly depicts a stark contrast present in America, those who conform to the ideals of civil religion, and those compelled to protest what could be considered to be a one-sided narrative. That it is not only black individuals kneeling, shows that it is not only experienced oppression that can create a divide from civil religion, it is an ideological issue often perpetuated through politics.
Robert Bellah’s Civil Religion in America, examines the idea of civil religion in America, suggesting that the U.S. has an established version of religion that exceeds the boundary of traditional faith. While the concept of God is often used as a political and societal tool to generate understanding and support, it is not an actual God that is key to the foundation and maintenance of American society, it is the narrative associated with God that creates a collective and is therefore built into key elements of government and politics. The American civil religion is an implicit structure of beliefs, rituals, and symbols which generate a collective spirit and foster a sense of unity and understanding regarding the nation’s values. Symbols of civil religion appear throughout the framework of American society, present through national rituals that include the Pledge of Allegiance, how holidays are celebrated nationally, and certain gestures or images within court houses.
The Star-Spangled Banner, America’s national anthem, symbolizes civil religion as it embodies collective identity, unity, and an understanding of shared values. Similarly to commemorations of battles, this anthem refers to the endurance of the American spirit both in battle and in a broader sense regarding what it means to be American. That the national anthem is performed at many important events, as a way to promote and maintain a commitment to the nation’s ideals and principles, is similar to how religious rituals occur. The national anthem serves as a vessel in which to communicate the nation’s identity, and prompts visceral reactions from Americans, both in deep acknowledgment of being part of something larger, the nation, and recognition of those who fought to protect it. There is also a reckoning with those voices silent in the song and the violent foundation of the nation. Listening to the national anthem is like a collective worship for some, but a reminder of brutality to others. While on one hand the anthem can be a symbol of hope, freedom, and strength, the anthem also presents a narrative that overlooks the struggle and violence against the Black community. In the words of Bellah, “On the domestic scene, an American-Legion type of ideology that fuses God, country, and flag has been used to attack non conformist and liberal ideas and groups of all kinds” (Bellah 1967 :14). This sentiment is a reminder that civil religion can be used to perpetuate and enforce harmful convictions and used as a manipulative strategy to coerce narratives and elevate political agendas.
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