Civil Religion and Identity in America

Abstract

The United States is known for its remarkable religious diversity, which sometimes presentsaunique challenge to the nation's sense of collective identity. The constitutional principleofreligious freedom, protected by the First Amendment, guarantees every religious grouptheright to worship freely and to proselytize, while forbidding the establishment of anyofficial religion. This absence of an established religion fosters pluralism but also complicates effortsto define a unified or homogeneous religious identity that can represent all Americans. Theinteraction between different religious sensitivities has often led to the exclusion of certaingroups and caused conflicts and social tensions, which have also challenged social harmonyand complicated the ongoing process of building a shared national identity. In light of thischallenge, some scholars argue that the real religion that unites all Americans is not anysinglefaith tradition but rather a civil religion that contains a shared set of values, rituals, andsymbols that transcend specific religious denominations and create a common senseofbelonging, unity, and national identity. This study explores how the concept of civil religionhas been used to address the challenges of religious diversity and identity in America. Through historical and conceptual analysis, this research aims to examine howcivil religioncontinues to shape American identity by providing a symbolic and moral frameworkcapableof integrating diverse religious communities within the nation