I'll start with a preface; what is Civil Religion?
Civil Religion is the folk religion of a nation or a political culture. It is a kind of "glue" that holds society together based on a belief in god or gods. It involves the religious customs of an organized religion that are presented outside of official doctrine or practice.
Where is this seen in the new MW2 trailer? In the opening narration, a reference is made to biblical scripture that involves characters and situations contained within the Bible.
Now the question is: for what purpose was this reference made? Why did Infinity Ward include such Civil Religion in their trailer? It is possible that they were endorsing Christianity or the Christian Bible, whether that would be intentional or not. However, that seems unlikely.
Or they were using such a reference for the dramatic effect. They were shooting for a cinematic experience that captivated watchers and made a reference to something that was higher than all of us; something a lot of us could relate to or understand. With the latter being much more likely, it is a safe observation that this is yet another example of Civil Religion in America. Similar examples (although on a much grander scale) include:
* the invocation of God in political speeches and public monuments (in God we trust; one nation under God)
* the quotation of religious texts on public occasions by political leaders (just about every inaugural speech given in the United States)
* the use of religious symbols on public buildings (crosses, angels, etc)
* founding myths and other national myths
Personally (and being an Atheist), I found this dramatic use of religion to be distasteful. It was unnecessary and did not fit the tone of the video. However, if I were to view the use of scripture in the video as nothing more than quotation of a very famous and historical text (entirely excluding religion), it suddenly becomes much more acceptable.
Anyway, this is what I do to avoid finishing my Econ reading. What is your opinion of the religion tone of the new trailer?
Civil Religion is the folk religion of a nation or a political culture. It is a kind of "glue" that holds society together based on a belief in god or gods. It involves the religious customs of an organized religion that are presented outside of official doctrine or practice.
Where is this seen in the new MW2 trailer? In the opening narration, a reference is made to biblical scripture that involves characters and situations contained within the Bible.
Now the question is: for what purpose was this reference made? Why did Infinity Ward include such Civil Religion in their trailer? It is possible that they were endorsing Christianity or the Christian Bible, whether that would be intentional or not. However, that seems unlikely.
Or they were using such a reference for the dramatic effect. They were shooting for a cinematic experience that captivated watchers and made a reference to something that was higher than all of us; something a lot of us could relate to or understand. With the latter being much more likely, it is a safe observation that this is yet another example of Civil Religion in America. Similar examples (although on a much grander scale) include:
* the invocation of God in political speeches and public monuments (in God we trust; one nation under God)
* the quotation of religious texts on public occasions by political leaders (just about every inaugural speech given in the United States)
* the use of religious symbols on public buildings (crosses, angels, etc)
* founding myths and other national myths
Personally (and being an Atheist), I found this dramatic use of religion to be distasteful. It was unnecessary and did not fit the tone of the video. However, if I were to view the use of scripture in the video as nothing more than quotation of a very famous and historical text (entirely excluding religion), it suddenly becomes much more acceptable.
Anyway, this is what I do to avoid finishing my Econ reading. What is your opinion of the religion tone of the new trailer?