civil religion

civil religion
Set of quasi-religious attitudes, beliefs, rituals, and symbols that tie members of a political community together.

As originally formulated by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the concept referred to the virtues that citizens need to serve the state. The concept was later elaborated by the American sociologist Robert N. Bellah (b. 1927), who found in the U.S. a strong sense of "American exceptionalism" and reverence for secular elements such as the national flag, the Constitution, the Founding Fathers, the annual holiday calendar, and the concepts of individualism and self-reliance. Another form of civil religion is presented by the example of Confucianism, where the nation is subordinated to a moral order.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • CIVIL RELIGION —    an idea developed by the Jean Jacques ROUSSEAU in The Social Contract which was taken up by American sociologist Robert BELLAH to explain the development of RELIGION in America. In Bellah s usage, civil religion is a vague religious sentiment… …   Concise dictionary of Religion

  • civil religion — civil religion, civil religion thesis In the 1960s a number of sociologists (including Talcott Parsons, Edward Shils, and Robert Bellah) distinguished civil religion from institutional (church based) religion, arguing that societies such as… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Civil Religion —   [ sɪvɪl rɪ lɪdʒən, englisch »bürgerliche Religion«], der von der Bevölkerungsmehrheit getragene Konsens über die gesellschaftlichen »Grundwerte« v. a. in den säkularisierten bürgerlichen Gesellschaften Nordamerikas und Westeuropas. Die Civil… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Civil religion — Sociology …   Wikipedia

  • civil religion —  Гражданская религия …   Вестминстерский словарь теологических терминов

  • American civil religion — is a term coined by sociologist Robert Bellah in 1967. The article in which the term is coined, Civil Religion in America , sparked one of the most controversial debates in United States sociology. Soon after the paper was published, the topic… …   Wikipedia

  • religion — religionless, adj. /ri lij euhn/, n. 1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and… …   Universalium

  • Religion in Israel — Western Wall and Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem Religion in Israel is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Israel s history. Israel is also the… …   Wikipedia

  • Religion — This article is about a general set of beliefs about life, purpose, etc.. For other uses, see Religion (disambiguation). Religious redirects here. For a member of a Catholic religious order, see Religious (Catholicism) …   Wikipedia

  • Civil society — Part of the Politics series Politics List of political topics Politics by country …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”