Blood Sacrifice and the Nation: Totem Rituals and the American Flag

by Carolyn Marvin, David W. Ingle

The authors argue that American patriotism is a civil religion organized around a sacred flag, whose followers engage in periodic blood sacrifice of their own children to unify the group. Using an anthropological theory, this groundbreaking book presents and explains the ritual sacrifices and regeneration that constitute American nationalism, the factors making particular elections or wars successful or unsuccessful rituals, the role of the mass media in the process, and the sense of malaise that has pervaded American society during the post-World War II period.

Genres: Religion, Politics, Nonfiction, History

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Carolyn Marvin is the Frances Yates Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication.

note: there are two authors with the same name

Reviews

[Ruby Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was such a fascinating read. It traces American nationalism and how this can even be considered a 'religion', with the flag as its principal symbol. After mentioning it in one of our Religious Studies lessons, I was interested to think about th flag in more depth and I was not disappointed.

Also, laced with modern history and studies, you end up learning even more than you would expect.

[Frank R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting application of a paradigm, and like the famous “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” by Miner, it is meant to induce an etic perspective in the emic reader.

This, however, unlike other professional anthropological works, does not take the emic conceptualizations of symbols like the flag in mind when creating this narrative! The flag as a totemic symbol in the civic religion of the US, fine, but a god needing fed with the blood of it’s citizens by its citizens in order to maintain a violent social human nature—that the authors believe exists biologically (?) and universally ala an odd mixture of Durkheim, Rene Girard, and Freud—that upholds the state and the “totemic secret” we keep from ourselves...no way.

I apologize for the run on, but it was for effect. The authors never differentiate between an ideological symbol of collective unity and power with magical or religious undertones and a sacred/totemic symbol with efficacious, transcendent absolute authority. Perhaps that is their point: there is no separation. Why then go on to talk about the “popular” and “profane” flag that can be used in various domains versus the totemic and sacred flag that no one can touch? Why do they not discuss the fact that sacrifices of all sorts, not just blood-letting via wars, can invigorate the totem? Why do they not consider that the civil religion was intentionally modeled on Judeo-Christian ceremonialism intentionally (such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson’s writing of installing a “American Publick Religion”)? How about mentioning Girard’s culturebound Christian-bias and reductionist view of religion as violence? This review could be much, much longer, but I’ll save you from more of my ramblings; this is something the authors didn’t do.

There’s no escape from this closed system, and my disagreement is not because I have a point, right? It is because the totem secret cannot be admitted by us to ourselves. We must live in continual denial of the flag’s god-like power or else...

[Alexander Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very intriguing book which posits that the flag is the totem of an American civil religion of patriotism. During war, bodies are sacrificed to the flag. In America, the flag is the chief totem but there are many affiliative groups which seek to wrest power away such as the KKK, religious groups, gangs, etc. There can be only one killing authority, and that is the flag. All other groups are allowed to exist in America o long as they don't try to kill. This helps explain why Americans are afraid of anyone who kills in the name of religion because it is a threat to the totem flag. The Betsy Ross section is very fascinating since she is portrayed as the mythic mother of the nation who in giving birth to the flag gives birth to the nation. One other large topic addressed is that the authors present an election as an elaborate mating ritual.
The ideas presented in this book warranted five stars, however, the book itself is more like 3 and a half stars due to the ridiculous amount of block quotes utilized by the authors. Once you get a few chapters in, half the book becomes block quotes which really hurts the argument and voice of the authors.

[Roland Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The point they are making is a simple one: religion is optional in American culture. It is okay to blaspheme or mock any and every religious belief. But it is not okay to mock the flag. You are not allowed to kill for your religious beliefs in our society. Anyone who does is a fanatic, an extremist, and a terrorist. But you can and must kill for the nation-state.

See my full review at http://wordsbecamebooks.com/2014/08/0...

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expertly written and very smart, but, for me, not an especially enjoyable read.