I Do Not Understand American Christendom (2020 Elections)

Now is as good a time to say it as not. I do not understand American Christendom, the underlying goodness and underlying depravity at the base of this majoritarian human phenomenon. I understand the myth of American exceptionalism, freedoms,  and opportunity, its own sense of the commons and common good. And I see how these governing myths are wrapped up in country, flag, guns, cops, and Christ. What I do not understand is the social form of hostility to the political forms of government and institutions. Beyond usual Critical Religious Studies pablum, I’d be curious to know what kinds of formal-technical doctrine drive this antipathy and anarchy.

About zjb

Zachary Braiterman is Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at Syracuse University. His specialization is modern Jewish thought and philosophical aesthetics. http://religion.syr.edu
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7 Responses to I Do Not Understand American Christendom (2020 Elections)

  1. Jon Awbrey says:

    One begins with Max Weber • The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and takes the dynamic he identifies it to enantiodromic limit.

  2. Believe it or not, it is Judaism. They believe in Jesus, but they do not understand who Jesus was. Jesus was a Jew.

    • I hope that comment does not get taken the wrong way. I just believe that if Christianity understood that what they believe in is Jewish and what Jewish is then maybe they would actually believe in what they claim to believe in, which is supposed to be love and love your neighbour. But yeah, they are definitely confused.

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