Civil religion, the blending of political and religious elements, has been present in various societies from ancient times to the present times. In ancient societies, kings or emperors were often worshipped as divine figures, reflecting this fusion. An example is the “rajyabhishek,” a ceremony in India where kings used to be crowned through a religious ritual, showing the union of politics and religion.
According to sociologist Nisbet, during the 16th and 17th centuries, Europe witnessed conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. This period was followed by the Enlightenment, which challenged traditional religious beliefs, especially Christianity, creating a vacuum of belief in Western Europe. This era saw the birth of new political ideas, such as the concept of “patrie,” which viewed the state as a fatherly protector of its citizens.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a key thinker, introduced the concept of civil religion in his work Social Contract (1762). He suggested that a state’s political leader should establish a set of shared beliefs that promote civic unity. Rousseau’s civil religion aimed to bind citizens together through shared values rather than traditional religious beliefs. He even proposed severe penalties for those who rejected these civic values, like banishment or death.
During the French Revolution, this idea of civil religion took shape with the “Religion of the Supreme Being,” which placed the state and the Revolution at the center of worship. In the 19th century, civil religion faded from political discourse, but the spirit of nationalism, which carried religious-like fervor, remained strong.
However, by the 20th century, after the atrocities of World War II, particularly the extreme nationalism of Nazi Germany, the appeal of civil religion and intense patriotism declined. Even so, a softer version of civil religion continues in modern democratic societies, where respect for the nation still holds a quasi-religious significance.
Copyright @ Sociology IGNOU.