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American civil religion is a sociological theory that a monotheistic nonsectarian civil religion exists within the United States with sacred symbols drawn from national history. Scholars have portrayed it as a common set of values that foster social and cultural integration. The ritualistic elements of ceremonial deism found in American ceremonies and presidential invocations of God can be seen as expressions of the American civil religion.
The concept goes back to the 19th century, but the current form of this theory was developed by sociologist Robert Bellah in 1967 in the article, "Civil Religion in America".[1] According to him, many Americans embrace a common civil religion with certain fundamental beliefs, values, symbols, holidays, and rituals in parallel to, or independent of, their chosen religion.[2]
Bellah's article soon became the major focus at religious sociology conferences and numerous articles and books were written on the subject. Interest in the topic reached its peak with the American Bicentennial celebration in 1976.[3][4][5]
- ^ Bellah, Robert N. (Winter 1967). "Civil Religion in America". Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 96 (1): 1-21. Retrieved November 9, 2024 – via robertbellah.com.
- ^ Kaplan, Dana Evan (Aug 15, 2005). The Cambridge Companion to American Judaism. Cambridge University Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-521-82204-6.
- ^ Meštrović, Stjepan G (1993). The Road from Paradise. University Press of Kentucky. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-8131-1827-7.
- ^ Cristi, Marcela (2001). From Civil to Political Religion: The Intersection of Culture, Religion and Politics. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 978-0-88920-368-6.
- ^ Swatos, William H. (1998). Encyclopedia of Religion and Society. Rowman Altamira. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-7619-8956-1.
The article caused an almost unprecedented burst of excitement among sociologists and other scholars of religion.