Abstract

The topic of Civil Religion as introduced by Robert N. Bellah - which can be described as any set of beliefs and rituals, related to the past, present and/of future of a nation - has widely met response. This probably is because it deals with Issues such as the legitimacy of the political process, the legitimacy of societal institutions and the meaning and destiny of society, issues widely felt as problematic. The topic has also been criticized, it then is interpreted as an uncritical justification of the state's power, as a remainder and parasite of christianity. The value of these criticisms is examined here as well as other, theoretical, criticisms which suggest that the argument is based on an inadequate model of society, i.e, the consensus model. In the end, some questions for research are raised in brief.

How to Cite:

Laeyendecker, L., (1986) “Problemen rond het thema "publieke godsdienst"”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 7(4), 621–652. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.85959