As I’ve caught various whiffs of Glenn Beck’s calls to America to turn back to God, I’ve simultaneously felt the biblical currents that enliven such a dream. Thought it is sometimes hard to see, and requires a little bit of reconstruction, Beck’s vision of a Christian nation is a thoroughly biblical idea.
We catch sight of it when Jesus comes proclaiming the reign of God–that it has come near, is here on earth already. The indications of its arrival are not lost on Jesus’ followers.
When Jesus is riding into Jerusalem, they proclaim him king: Hosanna! Here comes David’s kingdom!
When Jesus asks the disciples who they say he is, they answer quite clearly: You are that coming Christ!
Indeed, the disciples are not only the ones who confess this about Jesus, they are willing to lay down their lives for it. When Jesus is about to be arrested in the garden, a disciple (Peter) pulls out his sword and slices off an arresting agent’s ear.
When Jesus looks forward and sees death they help him find his way: No, Jesus! I rebuke you, said Peter.
Great, Jesus, interesting story about that coming death thing. Now, when you come in glory can brother here and I sit at your right hand and left?
The disciples continue to show us the importance of the nationalistic vision of the reign of God when their post-resurrection knowledge of the Messiah draws them to ask, “So, is this the time when you’re going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Yes, the civil religion of Glenn Beck has a rich, apostolic pedigree. It has behind it the apostles’ confessions, their swords, and their earnest expectations. God, the all powerful protector of the nation was their god as well. Civil religion is clearly a biblical idea.
Of course, Jesus responded to this idea, found in the Bible, with: “Get thee behind me Satan,” “you don’t know what you’re asking,” “put the sword away,” and “just go wait in the city until the Spirit comes and you finally understand what I’m talking about,” but that’s neither here nor there.
This would be great if it weren’t for the fact that Glenn Beck admitted he was a Mormon in an interview after the rally the other day. Unless we’re going to categorize Mormons in with Christians. I suppose they do believe in Jesus in some way. Here’s a link.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100829/pl_yblog_upshot/glenn-beck-regrets-calling-obama-a-racist
I think that his Mormonism, while ironic given the following he’s producing, is less the point than the common ground he is claiming with other folks who claim to follow Jesus. Yes, he’s a Mormon, that’s been well-known for at least the past several months. And, he’s taking his confession of the God of the Bible as part of his mandate to call people to become more faithful
Republicansto the “values” of our country. He’s using a vision that many conservative Christians resonate with based on that Christian connection.We watched a little bit of the rally and I didn’t get the sense that he is calling for a Christian nation, but rather that he is calling for people to live out their faith in God–and as a result, that will be good for the nation. His goal also seemed to be largely about focusing on the “good” things in America and honoring the troops. There was A LOT of religious talk–which sort of suprised me–but the bit I saw he had both a rabbi and a pastor (seemingly not LDS) there.
I don’t know. I thought it was a little weird, but I think most rallys are. I’m just not sure that your comparison is accurate. But like I said, I didn’t watch the whole thing. I have a feeling, though, that you probably didn’t watch any of it.
Watch what, exactly?
More seriously than my other comment *ahem*: the thing that frightens me about it is that he’s claiming divine mandate, divine imprimatur for his vision of America. The content at most points seemed banal, I’m happy for people to live according to the teachings of their religions, though Beck and I might disagree substantially about what that means from a Christian point of view. But when someone is giving clear indications that what he’s doing he’s doing as a burden from God, or that God has providentially ordained without his knowledge should fall on the anniversary of the MLKJ speech–that’s when my “civil religion” flag goes up and I start getting creeped out. I’ve seen that before… (loop to beginning of the blog post)
I’ve never heard him talk about having a divine mandate, although I don’t doubt your info. It wouldn’t surprise me. I see now why your “civil religion” flag went up.
It makes me wonder how a love of country is compatible with Christianity (ignoring the fact that GB is a mormon). GB is very passionate about the country and its well-being–I believe this passion is sincere. He also appears to be sincerely faithful (in his mormon-way). Clearly one informs the other. C and I have had conversations about this–how much “honor” is right to give to your country, is it right to pledge your allegiance to a flag, etc. Is it right to pledge your allegiance to a group of strangers (which according to C was one part of the Restoring Honor rally deal). It is interesting considering the scripture in your post and other scriptures where we’re told to do our right duty to gov’t. Then I also think of one of the prophets where God tells the people to plant vineyards, have kids, bless the land they’ve been placed in; the blessing that Daniel was in his position. Although these aren’t situations where they’re trying to make the gov’t or land a “Christian” gov’t or land, but situations in which their faith influences their interactions in the culture, including gov’t.
Anyway, I’m just kind of thinking out loud.
Glenn Beck . . . (two ns).
Mary, I simultaneously thank you for the correction and thank God that I don’t know him well enough to spell his name correctly.
I’m pretty sure the Mormon church is not actually really called by that name. They are called “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” From what I know Christ is the center of their religion.
Dr. K: as a Mormon, Beck does seems to view the Constitutional Convention (like too many American Xians) as the “8th Ecumenical Council” of the Church–or worse, as a 2nd Jerusalem Council inspired by the Holy Spirit. But your view seems to indicate that the kingdom will have no meaningful impact on institutions (family, Church, state, etc.) as well as individuals.
Why are we commanded to pray for kings and those in authority if we don’t, at some point, expect them to be saved and begin to rule according to God’s commandments? (1 Tim. 2; or is this some deutero-Pauline saying that isn’t really inspired?)
I guess it boils down to eschatology: will everything eventually come under the lordship of King Jesus, or will he simply snatch a few souls from the fire who will do some occasional feeding of the poor, etc? Will abortion and sodomy marriage one day become bad dreams that we can hardly believe happened in human history, or will they continue apace right up until the resurrection? I for one believe that the Word and Spirit are powerful enough to transform human history–”he must reign until ALL of his enemies submit”–even before the 2nd Coming.
Beck is not the answer, but he is right in seeing (perhaps ever so dimly) that the kingdom of God will eventually impact every area of life. Jesus DID come to proclaim liberty to the captives.
Take a look at the Russell Moore column I posted on my FB page.
Kind regards,
Brian N.
Sarah, I am currently reading about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is interesting that this was actually brought up today because I have had a mormon this week tell me they were Christian. But the belief in pre-existence, competition between Jesus and Satan for God’s approval, and sometimes flat out contradictions between the Bible and the Book of Mormon/Doctrines and Covenants alone proves that they are not centered on Jesus Christ as Christianity knows him. Mormon religion is centered on Joseph Smith’s “interpretations or revelations” of a Jesus who came and spoke to American Indians after his crucifixion. The LDS have four different holy books and the Bible(which is one of them) is not even considered totally accurate in that it contradicts Joseph Smith. Truth be told, Doctrines and Covenants has been altered so many times that you can’t even call it inspired. It is just men correcting errors that came to light after the original writing.
LDS claim that their religion is centered on Christ…but claims are not everything.
I know many people who compare Beck with Satan. Although I don’t think they are getting their inspiration from scripture.
That’s probably not the direction we want to go, either. There is such a thing as falling off the other side of the horse…
Ok, having been guilted into watching a few minutes of the speech: by minute 5 he has said, “This isn’t about politics, it’s about turning back to God.” And the application for “turning back to God” is “reflect on the heroes of the Vietnam War, the Korean War, George Washington and Abe Lincoln and MLKJ”.
This is what we call “civil religion”: the idea that God is for us (and, implicitly or explicitly) against everyone against whom we take up arms.
[DC al fin]
‘course, Lincoln is the one who said that God can’t possibly be answering the prayers of both north and south. And the horrors of the war he prosecuted are divine judgement for slavery
J.R., you are spot on in your observation of the situation and interpretation of scripture.
Christ said we would receive “power”, but not the kind of “power” that “civil religion” covets and produces. We (follwers of Christ) receive the kind of “power” it takes to wash dirty feet, do good to them that spitefully use us, love them that hate us, love our neighbor as we love ourselves, set at liberty the captive, preach good news to the poor, break the chains of oppression, parent the orphans, care for the widows!
He promised a place in the “kingdom”, but he didn’t mean the kind of kingdom that “civil religion desires. The kingdom of God that he promised will be one of equality and mutuality.
Unfortunately, in this current climate the “church” would rather be militant than broken. But there is no job description for Christian jihad. As followers of Christ we do not get to go around “cutting” off people’s ears or worse, killing them in the name of God.
yea, verily.
But can the power of real religion be of any use politically? Seriously. Either political power will counter christian anti-power entirely, or it will counterfeit it and make it looks the same (“I’m just a humble public servant”), or the fact that if it tries, it will never measure up.
Or, is the fellow defending Beck right by comparing civil religion to Cornelius pre-conversion. He was a centurion, and his piety (sans jesus) was heard by God as a memorial. Did his “civic religion” lead to his christian religion in that case?
Sometimes I think Homer Simpson sounded more right than he was meant to when asked his religion:
“You know, the one with all the well meaning rules that don’t work out in real life, uh, Christianity” .
So very well stated, Daniel. Catches the prophetic voice of Mark very well!!