American Civil Religion’s Endurance

Civil religion was prominent in last week’s presidential inauguration, especially in the prayers on the U.S. Capitol steps by a Catholic priest and a black Methodist preacher.

For some, both Christian and secularist, civil religion is controversial.  Some secularists object to the infusion of religion into the public arena.  Some Christians think civil religion is a diluted substitute for authentic religion.  Sometimes they ascribe to it idolatrous intent.

In today’s divided America, civil religion is more needed than ever before as a calming and unifying sealant. It reminds us of what can bring us together as Americans who seek the public welfare and who hope our country aspires to principles rooted in a gracious deity who loves all. Even many secularists appreciate the utility of civil religion even if not particularly religious themselves.

American style civil religion dates at least to America’s Founding Fathers, who often spoke of God as Judge and Guide for the nation in theologically inclusive language acceptable to Calvinists, Anglicans, Unitarians and to the small number of Jews and Catholics who then resided in America. The language often was Old Testament in rhetoric and usually avoided direct reference to the Trinity or Christ’s deity.  But the language was never at odds with orthodox Christianity so that conservative Christians could readily participate.  Increasing numbers of Catholics and Jews throughout the 19^th century melded into the tradition fairly seamlessly, as did the adherents of consecutive waves of evangelical revivals. 

Mainline Protestants (although they weren’t called “mainline” until the 20^th century), as the historic denominations present from the start, were the main developers and stewards of civil religion. Their tradition was especially skilled at relating faith to nation and statecraft.  Episcopalians and Presbyterians were particularly prominent among the powerful and influential and they were most comfortable as the priestcraft of civil religion.  Mainline churches were filled with people from across the political spectrum, and Mainline clergy were accustomed to speaking in broad and unifying themes that could also challenge and elevate.      

Of course, Mainline Protestantism began its implosion 60 years ago and is a faint shadow of its former glory.  Perhaps for the first time in history, there are no Mainline Protestants in the cabinet of the new administration.  There are no Protestants on the Supreme Court (Justice Gorsuch attends an Episcopal church but identifies as Catholic).  The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is Catholic and the U.S. Senate Majority leader is Jewish.  Evangelicals are America’s largest religious demographic but not as represented among the influential and powerful.

Perhaps civil religion, in a time when it’s more needed, is now weaker thanks partly to Mainline Protestant collapse.  But Catholics, Jews and Evangelicals, among others, can sustain the tradition.  Jesuit priest Leo O’Donovan, former Georgetown University President, delivered the inaugural invocation with a prayer that embodied the loftiest elements of civil religion. His prayer quoted the Constitution, Abraham Lincoln, King Solomon, the Apostle James, Pope Francis, and Archbishop John Carroll’s prayer for George Washington’s inauguration.  Everything O’Donovan said conformed to Catholic teaching and to historic Christian teaching, while largely acceptable to almost any monotheist or person who believes in an elevated spirituality serving the public good.

Here’s the text:

Gracious and merciful God, at this sacred time we come before you in need – indeed on our knees. But we come still more with hope, and with our eyes raised anew to the vision of a “more perfect union” in our land, a union of all our citizens to “promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” We are a people of many races, creeds and colors, national backgrounds, cultures and styles – now far more numerous and on land much vaster than when Archbishop John Carol wrote his prayer for the inauguration of George Washington 232 years ago. Archbishop Carol prayed that you, O creator of all, would “assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to your people.” Today, we confess our past failures to live according to our vision of equality, inclusion and freedom for all. Yet we resolutely commit still now to renewing the vision, to caring for one other in word and deed, especially the least fortunate among us, and so becoming light for the world. There is a power in each and every one of us that lives by turning to every other one of us, a thrust of the spirit to cherish and care and stand by others, and above all those most in need. It is called love, and its path is to give ever more of itself. Today, it is called American patriotism, born not of power and privilege but of care for the common good – “with malice toward none and with charity for all.” For our new president, we beg of you the wisdom Solomon sought when he knelt before you and prayed for “an understanding heart so that I can govern your people and know the difference between right and wrong.” We trust in the counsel of the Letter of James: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Pope Francis has reminded us “how important it is to dream together… By ourselves,” he wrote “we risk seeing mirages, things that are not there. Dreams, on the other hand, are built together.” Be with us, Holy Mystery of Love, as we dream together, to reconcile the people of our land, restore our dream, and invest it with peace and justice and the joy that is the overflow of love. To the glory of your name forever. Amen.

In a similar vein, Rev. Sylvester Beaman of the African Methodist Episcopal Church delivered the inaugural benediction, imploring God’s protection and guidance for the nation, in clearly biblical but inclusive tones:

As a nation and people of faith gathered in this historic moment, let us unite in prayer. God, we gather under the beauty of your holiness and the holiness of your beauty. we seek your faith, your smile, your warm embrace. we petition you once more in the celebration. we pray for divine favor upon our president, Joseph R. Biden, and our First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden and their family. We further ask that you would extend the same favor upon our Vice President, Kamala D. Harris, and our second gentleman, Doug Emhoff and their family. More than ever, they and our nation need you. We need you for in you we discover our common humanity. In our common humanity we will seek out the wounded and bind their wounds. We will seek healing from those who are sick and diseased. We will mourn our dead. We will befriend the lonely, the least common the left out. We will share our abundance — the least, and the left out. We will share our abundance. We will give justice to the oppressed, acknowledge sin, and seek forgiveness, thus grasping reconciliation. In discovering our humanity, we will seek the good in and for all our neighbors. We will love the unlovable. Remove the stigma of the so-called untouchables. We will care for our most vulnerable, our children, the elderly, the emotionally challenged, and the poor. We will seek rehabilitation beyond correction. We will extend opportunity to those locked out of opportunity. We will make friends of our enemies. We will make friends of our enemies. People, your people shall no longer raise up weapons against one another. We will use our resources for the national good and become a beacon of life and goodwill to the world. neither shall we learn hatred anymore. We will lie down in peace, not make our neighbors afraid. In you, oh God, we discover our humanity. In our humanity we discover our commonality whatever the difference of color, creed, origin, political party, ideology, and personal preferences. We become greater stewards of your environment, preserving the land, reaping from it a sustainable harvest, and securing its wonder and miracle giving power for generations to come. This is our benediction, that from these hallowed grounds, where slaves labored to build this shrine to liberty and democracy, let us all acknowledge from the indigenous native Americans to those who recently received their citizenship, from the African-American to those whose parents came from Europe and every corner of the globe, from the wealthy to those struggling to make it, from every human being regardless of their choices, that this is our country as such, teach us, oh God, teach us to live in it, loving it, be healed in it, and reconciled to one another in it, lest we miss kingdom’s goal. Your glory, majesty, dominion and power forever. Hallelujah. Gory, hallelujah. And in the strong name of our collective faith, amen.

The inauguration was preceded in the morning by worship at St. Matthews Catholic Cathedral.  Next day there was a prayer service at the Episcopal Church’s National Cathedral.  From dusk to dawn, the National Cathedral illumined on its façade the American flag, presidential seal and stars with fireworks.  Some thought this patriotic illumination too much.  But maybe the Episcopal cathedral, whose mission is to minister to the nation and host its civic events, was unconsciously reconnecting with the Episcopal Church’s deep history in stewarding civil religion.     

Many can justifiably quibble about civil religion’s flaws. But few if any critics have offered any alternative for national cohesion and spiritual uplift.