Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation

by Michael J. Gorman

The “myth of redemptive violence undergirds American popular culture, civil religion, nationalism, and foreign policy,” argues Walter Wink.48 It underwrites the belief that killing and/or dying for the national interest is a sacred duty and even privilege. Service to the nation—especially military service, and particularly dying for one’s country—is the highest form of both civic and religious devotion. After all, the civil-religion argument goes, quoting but misinterpreting Jesus, “greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13; RSV).49 These are some of the basic sacred myths and convictions of American civil religion. This ideology, or theology, has remarkable parallels with the Roman imperial theology discussed above. Some of the Symbols and Practices of American Civil Religion The sacred myths of civil religion are expressed, reinforced, honored, and propagated in sacred symbols, spaces, rituals, and holy-days. These occasions use sacred language, music, texts, and stories. Space does not permit a full discussion, but some of these American symbols and practices—often with close parallels elsewhere—are listed here. Sacred symbols and spaces National flags as sacred objects National flags (sometimes juxtaposed with “Christian flags”) in churches50 Crosses in military or other non-church contexts (e.g., military medals in the form of a cross) Blending of Christian and national images (e.g., cross and flag, Jesus and flag) Sa...