The Faiths of Our Nation

"God Bless America" -- The Civil Religion in American by Robert Bellah

Civil religion in America, argues Robert Bellah in his book of the same title, Civil Religion in America, is the faith of the land, not Christianity as some will argue. The civil religion, he says exists both independently and along side the other religious organizations in America, such as temples, churches and mosques. Taking up this as his topic, Bellah says that while the founding fathers may have advocated for religion, they in their enlightened minds, argued for no religion in particular; up sprung what today we call, civil religion. Over time the amalgamated beliefs of many faith communities have coalesced into this one great mass that here in America, the religion of our intrinsically religious society is not any particular religion at all, but the civil religion that suits so many.

In defining civil religion, Bellah describes a situation that goes beyond folkways but does not extend itself to established or 'mainline' faith communities. Often leaders of civil religion inhabit political spheres and engage religion to advance message. And while some may want to diminish the sincerity or intensity of this American faith way, Bellah argues equally that it "deserves the same care and understanding as any other faith."  In his most recent work, The Robert Bellah Reader, He writes about religious faith communities and the ways in which they impart meaning not only to their immediate constituents, but to the civil, political process; the shaping of ethical and moral policies translate directly into the legislation of society.

The Reader is divided into four broad parts. Bellah seeks to examine the 'waves of modernity' as they are sometimes called when examining religious practice within society. These waves are often the ideas of antiquity, early modern, modern and post modern as they manifest within a given social order. He also charges the universities with a deficit, "testing the axiomatic modern assumption that rational cognition and moral evaluation, fact and value, are absolutely divided... arguing instead that they overlap and interact much more than conventional wisdom in the university today usually admits." To read Robert Bellah's words is to be deeply challenged and enlightened to the ways of modern America.

Tarsius and the Council of Nicaea

"Be still, and know that I am God." Bible, Psalm 46:10

While many have heard the word Nicaean (Nicean) and may know it has something to do with christian religious experience or spirituality, historically exactly what it is, many fewer can say today.

The councils of Nicaea were convened in response to controversy about theological ideas around the nature of the Christ. These meetings were ecumenical councils. The second Nicaean Council took place in Constantinople about 786 BCE lasting until civil unrest disturbed the councilors so much they took early leave. These councils are considered the councils of the undivided church of this time. The imperial secretary, Tarsius figures importantly in this second proceeding. He later became the Patriarch of Constantinople.

The first council of Nicaea took place some centuries earlier in Alexandria Egypt about 325 BCE. Present at this council notably were the patriarchs of Egypt, Libya, Syria, Persia, Palestine and also Greece and Thrace among others. Manuscripts of the proceedings have been discovered written in Arabic describing a number of significant events which took place here. There were a number of decisions made: notably that Bishops must know the Gospels by heart, not cursorily; that they must be exemplary in character and the still widely used, Nicene Creed was devised and agreed upon. If you learn nothing else, read and understand this creed, for it is all that Christianity proposes and all that it believes. Here it's in its original, unedited form:

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance [ek tes ousias] of the Father, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of the same substance with the Father [homoousion to patri], through whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth; who for us men and our salvation descended, was incarnate, and was made man, suffered and rose again the third day, ascended into heaven and cometh to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. Those who say: There was a time when He was not, and He was not before He was begotten; and that He was made out of nothing, ex ouk onton; or those who maintain that He is of another hypostasis or another substance, not the Father, or that the Son of God is created, or mutable, or subject to change, those the catholic* church anathematizes."
Source-- www.newadvent.org/cathen/11044a.htm

In the previous era of Christian unity, the convening of ecumenical councils was an important way for Christian leaders from far off lands to come together, discuss the Gospels and their meaning and come to unified conclusions regarding the spirituality and practice of the Christian faith. At this early time in history, the Bishop of Rome, todays Pope Francis, was widely regarded as the bishop who presides in love and charity, as St. Ignatius of Antioch termed it, and thus the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) takes precedence in the order of Bishops. At the time, there was an order of precedence among the ancient bishops' seats: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem; the order was recognized by all in the era of the undivided church.

After centuries of rising tension, Christianity finally broke apart in 1054 CE. The reasons included abstract theological differences involving issues like the understanding of the Holy Spirit and practical disagreements over the extent of the Western pope’s authority over worldwide Christianity.
After the breach, the rival primates hurled mutual excommunications at each other. For nearly 1,000 years, the two churches did not interact on any level.

* Catholic is defined as: whole, universal, undivided