Civil religion

• Civil religion: Bellah

  • A belief system that attaches sacred qualities to society
  • Integrates society in a way that individual religion cant
  • Involves loyalty to the nation state and a belief in God = being a true American
• Functional alternatives:

  • Non-religious beliefs and practices that perform the same functions as religion - communism, Nazism
  • Ignores what makes religion distinct
• Evaluation of functionalism:

  • Emphasises the social nature of religion
  • Ignores religion as a source of conflict and oppression
  • Is civil religion really a religion