Religion as National Identity in a Secular Society

The article argues that it is the role of religion to provide values that delineate national identity. This role is not universal, but it applies to a great variety of societies, including secular ones. The case chosen is Israel, because secularization was an integral part of its ideology. Neverthel...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Weissbrod, Lilly (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage Publications 1983
In: Review of religious research
Year: 1983, Volume: 24, Issue: 3, Pages: 188-205
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
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Summary:The article argues that it is the role of religion to provide values that delineate national identity. This role is not universal, but it applies to a great variety of societies, including secular ones. The case chosen is Israel, because secularization was an integral part of its ideology. Nevertheless, national symbols continued to be secular versions of religious symbols, and the secular ideology continued to contain at least one aspect of the Messianic idea, which is religious in nature. The internal contradiction between basing national identity on emphatically secular values that are justified by religious ones caused a crisis of identity. A new religiously-based national identity is becoming increasingly widespread in Israel.
ISSN:2211-4866
Contains:Enthalten in: Review of religious research
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3511814