Douglas Wilson has been doing to series of blogs based on his reading of Americanism:The Fourth Great Western Religion by David Gelernter. You can find them filed under the category of “Americanitas” in the archives.

His latest post on the topic, bringing C.S. Lewis into the discussion, has some good experts and makes me want to read the book myself. Not that I agree with Gelernter’s agenda, as he is actually glorifying the fact that people have faith in America as some kind of spiritual entity, but he does seem to have some insights as to what that means in practice, and how it came about.

For instance, Gelernter claims that the turning point in the development of this religion was the Civil War, and I think he is correct. Lincoln was successful in essentially Americanizing Christianity, making the Union a goal unto itself and therefore an object of reverence. Gelernter celebrates this. I would call it despicable, to go along with most of Lincoln’s other great “successes.”

But Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War worked a fundamental transformation. America emerged as something to believe in, a spiritual concept to have faith in just as you might believe in Christianity

He also mentions the role of the world wars in how Americanism was initially spread across the globe. Follow the links above for more excerpts.

It’s important to draw attention to these concepts, even coming from one who celebrates them, because many people hold to this Americanism religion without realizing it, and are thereby implicitly bowing down to idols, and voluntarily shackling themselves in slavery.

From Wilson’s comments:

Countries can be good or bad, small or large, rich or poor, but countries cannot be a transcendent, shimmering ideal. Idolaters can think they are, but that is something we have to categorize as a sin. We must have no nonsense about America being unique in any redemptive or salvific sense. But Gelernter is nothing if not persistent.

The natural consequence of this religion, as Wilson correctly states in another post, is that military might is then used to spread the “good news” of this religion. As he puts it, American Empire is “a perverse parody of the Great Commission”. Relationships between the State and it’s subjects are always based on power and force, so it’s necessary that this message be spread the same way.

It’s a shameful reversal of the New Testaments’ claim of a good news, and a foolish attempt to pull Jesus off of his throne and to set America in his place.

America will find, as it has already begun to realize, that bloodshed and violence beget more bloodshed and violence, and faith in America, like faith in the so-called Pax Romana of Caesar, will lead to the same fate of the Roman Empire.

Don't forget to subscribe to my full RSS feed to get daily updates of this blog!