Worshipping Trump: Civil Religion in the Oval Office

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Worshipping Trump: Civil Religion in the Oval Office  



The image above is a screenshot of an instagram post from Sean Feucht, an American christian singer-songwriter and former worship leader. The picture depicts the Oval Office full of mostly white men, including himself, all circling Trump who sits in the middle with his eyes closed and hands folded over the desk. Yellow curtains drape the windows in the background; two flags jut out in the background on either side of the group. The people have stoic expressions on their faces, one even posed heroically staring into the distance. Many are gesturing towards Trump, treating him as this Godly figure seated in the center of the room, reaching out to him as if touching him and his presence is a sacred entity. The caption on the right celebrates President Trump for his recent reelection, and makes many religious references including ending with a quote from Psalm 33:12. 

In Robert Bellah’s 1967 “Civil Religion in America” he argues that Americans are brought together and given meaning through a “set of beliefs, symbols, and rituals.” (Bellah 1967: 4) Tracing the origins of America he highlights how democracy, liberty and justice are values that have shaped the nation and continue to serve as the foundation of civil religion. Bellah notes the influence of Christian values which have become intertwined with national identity, shaping ideals of what it means to be American. American nationalism functions as a religion for Americans, even if they are unaware of it. Bellah uses Kennedy’s inaugural address as an example of ritual where he uses the word ‘God’ three times throughout the speech, not in relation to his Christian faith, but with a lack of “specific religious commitment.” (Bellah 1967: 3) 

This image depicts many of the aspects of civil religion that Bellah discusses. Firstly, the flags in the background are important symbols of civil religion. They represent national unity; what brings so many different religions, ethnicities, and people together is their shared American identity. The American flag holds history, symbolizing not just the country itself but the values of liberty and justice that go along with it. The presence of this flag alongside this imagery of a prayer-like scene symbolizes the intertwining of religion with politics that Bellah emphasizes. This is the idea that patriotism is its own belief system, with the president representing the country as a divine power. The Oval Office holds political significance in America, and entrance into that room is seen as sacred. The expressions of the people gathered around newly elected President Trump help further represent another key aspect of civil religion, the sanctification of political figures. In this image he is given a holy presence in the room, with his followers gesturing powerfully toward their idol. The caption alongside the image solidifies the intertwining of politics and religion. “The sound of prayer and worship will once again fill the Oval Office!” (Feucht 2024) The Oval Office is the US president’s office, not a place where prayer and worship would be associated with. 

To further emphasize the religious connotations of the image of Trump, I have put it in comparison to “David Anointed at Hebron.” In this image David is similarly centered in a crowd of people extending their hands to him, while he is being anointed King. His follower's expressions reveal awe and admiration for him. David’s eyes are closed as he takes in the moment, just as Trump sits in the center, eyes closed. David was an important religious figure in Biblical tradition. The comparison of these two images is key as it highlights the similar portrayal of religious and political figures in art, reinforcing the sanctification of Trump in the instagram post. David was specifically anointed by God whereas Trump’s sanctification is socially constructed by his followers. 


Bellah, Robert N. 1967. “Civil Religion in America.” Daedalus 96(1):1–21. Retrieved March 26, 2025 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/20027022).

“David Anointed at Hebron.” May 2017. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved March 27, 2025. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_anointed_at_Hebron.jpg


Sean Feucht. 2024. “The sound of prayer and worship will once again fill the Oval Office!”

Instagram, November 8. https://www.instagram.com/seanfeucht/p/DCHbFFZvu_r/

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