American and British Civil Religion - Essay Example

Is American and British civil religion a form of Christianity In order to understand American and British civil religion and its link to Christianity, one must focus on the history and what brought about the changes in these regions historically and their impact on the Christian world in these two most influential regions. In my research efforts, I would like to discuss Gerald Parsons book "Perspectives on Civil Religion and Sydney Ahlstrom's book on the religious history of these two countries. There are different levels of the definition civil religion and the two most influential authorities on civil religion's definition from Robert Bellah the American sociologist and later Pierard and Linder have in turn served to actually link the concept of civil religion with Christianity (Parsons,2002, p.6). According to Bellah, American civil religion has two aspects :priestly and conservative, liberal and prohetic (Parsons, 2002, p.3). He goes on to explain the Americans on the one hand see themselves as divinely appointed by God to lead the world in a particular direction. "..For some among the new Christian Right within recent and contemporary American politics, the concept of an American civil religion has been deployed as part of a campaign to create and sustain a distinctively 'Christian America' (Parsons, 2002, p.4)." According to the author, the move in this direction advertises America's ideologies in a Christian context- the ideologies of peace and justice and mingle them in the context of Christian religion. Richard Pierard and Robert Linder have actually defined certain characteristics of civil religion where a nation and its vision are somehow intertwined with each other (Parsons, 2002). His book actually serves to show us how a nation's civil religion is predominantly linked to some form of religion-in this case Christianity. One must understand through their analyzing of this concept that this concept still is ambiguous to the present day. But in order to under their links, it is only fair to look at the history of these two major powers in the world and their religion in order to understand more clearly their dealings with the world. Both these countries are dominantly Protestant and Anglo-Saxon and their forms of "modernity" go back to the eighteenth century (Parsons, 2002, p.7). In doing so, in my discussion of civil religion, it is important to look at the rituals of remembrance of these two countries. Americans celebrating the 4th of July independence and Memorial day (remembrance of those who have died in civil war), and the British having celebration of Remembrance Sunday (the anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War in 1918) are most notably viable examples of civil religion in these two countries (Parosn, 2002). In America, the most influential leader Abraham Lincoln who led the civil war in the 18th century, delivered certain key speeches that contributed to the concept of civil religion in America that were intrinsically tied to the Old testament Scriptures :for example at the Gettysburg Address in 1863, "Lincoln used Christian symbolism and language and he saw America as the promised land to which God had led their predecessors (Parsons,2002, p.15)."1 In the meantime in Britain, there is a growing trend in the twentieth century to mark the graves of those who had died in the war (Parsons, 2002). "From 1915 onwards, street shrines were designed to list the names of those who were currently serving with the armed forces and of those who had been killed ...For the clergy they were part of the process of evangelism and the attempt to reassert the relevance of the message of Christianity in the midst of war...it also endorsed the understanding of the war as a holy crusade (Parsons, 2002, p.29)."2 Also , it is notable to include that the British were fueled in their ceremony of marking the graves of those deceased in war-commonly known as the commonwealth war graves were met with huge public support (Parsons, 2002). The British people although had Christian themes in their burial of the dead -though it was marked in Christianity, it was not so pronounced as the American's for it was not so theologically founded.3 For instance in Britain, "the festival of remembrance proved to be a popular success and by 1929 had already come to include the defining image of a million poppies falling on those present in the Albert Hall. Each poppy represented a life,....(Parsons, 2002, p.37)." We see support among the British people for these rituals of remembrance and more so they signify that life is precious and valued and that is done through the symbol of poppies. This is a characteristic theme of Christianity where life is considered precious and consistent with Christ's teachings where we must choose life over death. But they do not go so in depth as to referring to the Scriptures. Going through the book "Perpectives on civil religion", it is clear that technology also enhanced a lot of the enthusiasm of the commonwealth war graves and so did the media - movies such as "Saving Private Ryan" by Steven Spielberg arouse the sentiments of the British people which in turn actually served to make these rituals more a case for the norm with prayers and silence observed (2002). Pilgrimages were organized so that loved ones could visit the graves of the fallen war heroes which in turn brought many a people into emotional roller coasters (2002). "It is a power that apparently prompts, perhaps above all, humility in the face of the silent record of so much human suffering and loss (Parsons, 2002, p.83)." This is inherently a Christian doctrine where suffering is always evident as we see in Christ's suffering and ultimate sacrifice on the cross. In the United States , the Vietnam Veterans memorial or simply called 'the wall' is considered the sacred place for Americans to make their pilgrimages to pay homage to those that have died in the war (Parsons,2002). Here people leave all sorts of knick knacks to their loved ones ranging from flowers placed at the names to beer cans placed at the site (2002). According to Parsons (2002), "it is difficult not to see in the messages such as these a search for absolution and forgiveness (p.91)." And the author goes on to describe why these acts that are performed are essentially a factor in making these pilgrimages an aspect of the American civil religion because of the huge throngs of people that visit the place along with the sentiments that it invokes almost elevating it to the status of a sacred shrine (Parsons, 2002). The Vietnam war divided the American people -there were massive anti-war protests and according to Parsons, many Americans just wanted to forget about the war (Parsons 2002). Moreover, even the design of the veterans memorial wall sparked intense feelings among the American people (2002). Even though these sentiments varied, there was overwhelming popular support for the veteran memorial wall. The place had come to become sacred for the American people: The memorial may facilitate expressions of belief in America and the values that individuals associate with their nation. And in recognizing and honoring the service and sacrifice of the individuals that served in Vietnam-without commenting on the rightness or wrongness of the war and its conduct-the memorial provides a point of national unity even for those who may still radically disagree about the Vietnam war (Parsons, 2002, p.119) In Parson's conclusion (2002), he states that the pilgrimages to memorials, cemeteries or particular graves-these modes of behavior actually are relevant in the Christian tradition especially the Catholic doctrine. Let us examine in detail the religious history with its ties to Christianity. "American historians have continued without hesitation to see God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Chirst as day-by-day participants in the country' struggles (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.2)." Ahlstrom quotes George Bancroft in his 1876 edition saying "it is the object of the present work to explain how the change in condition (of American history) of our land has been brought about; and, as the fortunes of a nation are not under the control of blind destiny, to follow the steps by which a favoring Providence, calling our institutions into being, has conducted the country to its present happiness and glory (1972,p.2). In discussing the American history, George Bancroft according to Ahlstrom, is clearly advocating that the will of God is present in shaping America's future and it is not destiny that has brought about these historical events. Tracing events as far out as the American civil war and the role of religion in such matters, Ahlstrom (1972) point out to us that: The Civil war became a kind of holy war. In 1893 the general secretary of the American branch Evangelical Alliance, Josiah Strong, depicted the American nation as the new Rome whose destiny was to "Anglo-Saxonize" the entire world. Protestant America did not really face its great moment of truth until it marched onto the moral and religious battlefields of the twenties, the tumultous decades of prohibition, immigration, evolution...Here indeed was the antipodes of the Great Awakening (p.8). And it brought about with it the shaping of the religion that we come to know as the civil religion of America. Many famous works such as the volumes published by Robert Baird, a missionary, gave us a glimpse of the fervor of the religion in America-here in his works he actually allocates two whole pages to the Roman Catholic church (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.8). In order to discuss the issues of the American civil religion, the issues of Christianity are emphasized here specifically Roman Catholicism. Key aspects of the American and British civil religion in its infancy can be clearly tied down to Christianity in its roots and also to its current aspect of that era. Thomas Kemphis sought to bring the peoples closer to God : "the dedicated Christian life which these men and women exemplified, and the ageless way in which they sought to bring persons directly to a deeper understanding of the mercy and holiness of God and the nature of Christian discipline, are intrinsic aspects of the age (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.23)." And what about British civil religion as a form of Christianity In England, we have the abbots and archbishops who actually become rulers of the peoples, priests becoming secretaries or administrators, and the gentleladies like Chaucer's winsome pilgrim become nuns (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.24). If we look into who was governing the social structure of the European society at that time, it was clearly pointing to the priests and the religious who were dominating the norms of society for the British people. It is also imperative to mention that there were changes in the Roman papacy and reformation was inevitable. Around the 14th century, the old order for the western nations and for the Roman church was crumbling- and the forces active in this process would not only promote the formation of new ideologies and structures in Britain, but almost inevitably they would bring American history especially American church history into actuality (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.25). This destruction in the Roman Catholic world actually pushed towards a change in the American and British world especially in its shaping of their religious history. In the Renaissance period, technically in the new learning period, in England "many men turned with renewed vigor to the Scriptures, with their emphasis on the supreme will of God and the limitations of reason in matters of faith (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.26)." The Bible was clearly a source of inspiration to the men at that time and by no means was it undermined. The answers to their problems was in the Scriptures. Christianity dominated the scene heavily at this point in time and we can clearly see how the British civil religion is intertwined with the dogmas of Christianity. In the 15th century, in England, the "monastic orders were so deeply enmeshed in social and economic affairs that the total root-and-branch reformation was impossible (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.31)." In England, the social structure was imbued with the monastic life and religious life in Christianity was woven deep into the seams. Going more deeper into the British history, in the 14th century Ahlstrom tells us that the archbishop of Canterbury dies with Henry VIII coming into power (1972,p.84). Ahlstrom actually gives us a gripping picture of the turn of events that surround the church of England: Henry VIII has dominion over the whole English clergy He had taught his government how to manipulate the church. He had begun to take issues into his own hands.. By 1531 the church had to accept the rule of the king as the supreme head (1972, p.85). "When Henry died in1547, the English church presented the most anomalous state of affairs in the Christian world-nearly nine hundred years of undisputed papal authority had been overthrown-yet doctrine was for the most part unchanged, popular piety was undisturbed, and parish life went on as much as before. Despite earlier signs of opportunism and vacillation, the traditional faith and order of medieval Catholicism were perpetuated by the Six Articles of 1539 and the King's book of 1543....and the "Great Bible", which was a more tradition minded version of Matthew's Bible was published by royal order in 1533 (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.87)." Although Roman Catholicism was dissolved, its principles at work were still present in their new doctrines. It was still based on the old rules of Christianity which followed the Scriptures. However, this did not do much to the British people who still went to their respective churches to worship. Civil religion was still closely connected to their roots in Christianity. Ahlstrom also further points out to us that the most refined and brilliant reformers were theologians at Oxford and Cambridge (1972, p.87). "In 1533 the Forty-two Articles of Religion were issued and they revealed a decided influence from the Reformed tradition (Ahlstrom, 1972,p. 87)." Ahlstrom (1972) indicates to us how the English transformation helped bring about the so called Puritan century. "Puritans, like devoted Christians were first of all determined to conform the Church Militant to their understanding of the fact that man's redemption if of God in Christ.. In fact, Holy Scripture was the practical and the theoretical fountainhead of the movement....There was a preference for the liturgical forms enshrined in the Book of Common Prayer-these factors ensured a strong link between church and state....The reformation heritage of the church with its strong biblical emphasis was preserved. The existence of other christian communions in the United Kingdom was recognized (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.96)." Hence it can be stated that the christian element were preserved and what was non Christian was discarded. So even though church and state were secularized in England, they still held a common bond that was mainly Christian in its methods of religion. "The seventeenth century was an age of faith, a time when few Englishmen would take lightly any precept clearly set forth in Scripture, and when God's providence was seen behind every occurrence. In England, the clergy played a vital chapter in the development of the British empire, for in England the clergy played an important rule in awakening kings, ministers, merchants, and people to their obligation to carry the gospel to all parts of the earth...The reformation in the British Isles as elsewhere was essentially a Christian revival in which the biblical understanding of man and history was forcefully proclaimed (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.116). The Bible was the Christian book which emphasized the religion which dominated the British peoples. One had to live by the precepts of the Bible and the hand of God was seen virtually in all matters. Nothing just happened by chance. Christianity was fiercely promoted by the important members of the British society. The British change was inevitable- in Britain, according to Ahlstrom (1972) Christian concern was a shaping force of such strength as to be almost unfathomable to the modern mind (p.119). And this actually brings us to the modern day Britain which in its civil religion has its claws deeply embedded in Christianity. Most people in the Christian world know the works of St.Augustine or are familiar with his name in the Christian world. He was an exceptionally pious man who influenced the religious world with his deep philosophical thought and writings and hence his intimate relationship with the divine God. The period that gripped Britain earlier especially in the Puritan movement was infused to a great degree by St.Augustine: the "puritan spirit was infused with what Perry Miller call the Augustinian strain of piety..At times one can even find among professed Puritans the sort of mystical piety which transported Augustine from the window in Ostia into other realms of being and led him to discover that there was no peace outside of rest in God (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.127)." Let us go back to the American civil religion-what was happening in Britain was likewise taking place in the United States. In America, Alfred North Whitehead with his focus chiefly "culminating on the work of Newton regarded his work as a defense of the Christian faith and in later years he busied himself with elaborate exegesis of biblical prophecies...The influence of these new current thoughts in America was very strong...The great awakening aroused such widespread concern for evangelical Christianity (Ahlstrom, 1972, p.358)." Thus, it can be deduced from Parsons and Ahlstrom that American and British civil religion is really a form of Christianity. Parsons decribes in his book certain rituals of American and British civil religion which are inherently Christian so to speak such as the Vietnam wall and the Commonwealth war graves. These relationships are hence intertwined with each other even to the present day. Reference List Ahlstrom, S.E.(1972). A Religious History of the American People. New Haven :Yale University Press. Parsons, G.(2002). Perspectives on Civil Religion. United Kingdom:Ashgate Publishing Company and the Open University. Read More