Episode Details

Co-written by Dr. David McConeghy, scholar of religion in the United States. Follow him on Twitter @dmcconeghy.
Join our Patreon community!: https://patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
One-time donations here!: https://www.paypal.me/religionforbreakfast
Check out my favorite religious studies books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast

American Civil Religion Series:
Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x49n90lWi0s&feature=youtu.be
Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4AHNAnSbCc&feature=youtu.be

Is a secular ritual comparable to a religious ritual? Can we equate national symbols like flags and parades to religious symbols? This video argues: "yes." The American flag functions like a sacred symbol in American public life. The NFL anthem protest of 2016 demonstrates the various ways that Americans impute sacred significance to the American flag.

Further reading:
Benjamin Zeller, https://religiondispatches.org/why-kaepernicks-refusal-to-stand-was-an-act-of-religious-dissent/

Brian Britt, "Taking a Knee as Critical Civil Religion," https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/taking-knee-critical-civil-religion

Leah Pannell, https://religiondispatches.org/american-christians-dont-understand-protest/

Media:
Vintage Pledge of Allegiance photograph: Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001703605/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices