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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Unmasking a sacred veil: a theological view of exceptionalism
Taking of Jerusalem by the Crusaders. Painting: Emile Signol In the long sweep of history, few ideas have proven as seductive — and as spiritually dangerous — as the doctrine of national exceptionalism. This belief, which casts certain nations as uniquely chosen or divinely favoured, has been a potent ideological force behind imperial conquest, military aggression, and moral self-exemption. The modern state of Israel is often seen by its most ardent defenders, both Jewish and Christian, as the fulfilment of a biblical promise. But the fusion of ancient promise with modern statehood is fraught with danger. The Hebrew Scriptures indeed speak of Israel as God's "chosen people," but not in terms of privilege or licence. The calling is not toward dominance but toward justice, hospitality, and mercy. The promise of land in the Hebrew Bible is inseparable from the demand for righteousness and care for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan. Failing to uphold the dignity and rights of others, especially the vulnerable, constitutes a violation of the covenant. Applying the logic of national exceptionalism to justify the dispossession of Palestinians, the expansion of settlements, and the denial of civil rights within occupied territories, including the devastation of Gaza, amounts to a tragic inversion of the biblical witness. Gaza has been described by Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as worse than hell on earth. The scale of devastation and the depth of human anguish defy comprehension. To claim moral or theological justification for them is indefensible. American exceptionalism tells a similar story. From the Puritan preacher John Winthrop's "city on a hill" to Ronald Reagan's dream of America as the last, best hope of earth, US political identity has been steeped in theological imagery. America, we are told, is not merely one nation among many but a nation uniquely blessed by God. But when divine blessing is invoked to justify global dominance, the theological scaffolding of exceptionalism begins to rot. The Jesus who said, "Blessed are the meek," and who stood with the poor, the imprisoned, and the oppressed, is nowhere to be found in the forced deportation of migrants, the indefinite detention of unaccompanied children, or the surveillance and silencing of dissenting voices. Nor is he present in the vast machinery of American militarism. American exceptionalism has fostered a self-righteousness that treats criticism as betrayal and repentance as weakness. Here in New Zealand, we are not immune to the subtle seductions of exceptionalism. The popular phrase "Godzone" may seem harmless. But when taken uncritically, it implies a kind of spiritual superiority, a presumption that we are more blessed than other nations. It blinds us to our own histories of colonial violence and social inequalities. The most chilling example of national exceptionalism in modern history is Nazi Germany. Hitler's regime co-opted Christian symbols and theological language to advance a demonic ideology of racial purity and Aryan supremacy. This fusion of nationalism, racial myth, and theological rhetoric culminated in genocide. It was not simply an abuse of power. It was a blasphemy. Likewise, in Russia today, a potent mix of nationalism, Orthodoxy, and authoritarianism underpins the ideology of the so-called "Russian World." The Russian Orthodox Church has lent theological legitimacy to Vladimir Putin's vision of Russia as the protector of true Christianity and moral order, in contrast to the perceived decadence of the West. This has been used to justify territorial aggression, including the invasion of Ukraine. These examples are extreme, but they are instructive. They show what happens when theological language is commandeered to legitimise nationalistic ambitions. Scripture requires us not to divide and conquer, but to heal and reconcile. It calls for national self-examination, not national self-congratulation. It challenges us to remember that God's purposes cannot be captured by any flag or enforced by any army. To be chosen is not to occupy a position of privilege but to be burdened with an ethic of compassion. Any nation that forgets these truths becomes not a light to the nations, but a warning to them. • Dr Graham Redding is the Douglas Goodfellow lecturer in Chaplaincy Studies, University of Otago.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would create guidelines for public high school courses on the Bible
Bible on a school desk in a classroom. (Stock photo by plherrera via Getty Images) Republicans on an Iowa Senate panel gave initial approval Thursday to legislation creating guidelines for public high school courses on the Bible. Advocates supporting the bill said teaching the religious text would aid students' understanding of literature and history from a secular perspective. But some critics said the measure would endorse Christian perspectives over other faiths in public schools. Senate File 138 would direct the Iowa Board of Education to establish course standards for elective social studies classes on 'Hebrew Scriptures or the Old or New Testament of the Bible.' These classes would be for grades 9 through 12 students, would not be mandatory for students to take and would require approval from the school district's board of directors to be implemented. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legislation requires the state board and school districts remain in compliance with state and federal laws and guidelines around religious neutrality. These courses 'shall not endorse, favor, promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, any particular religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective,' according to the legislation. Despite the language calling for religious neutrality in these classes, critics said the legislation is still promoting a Christian perspective by highlighting courses on the Bible in public high schools. Connie Ryan with Interfaith Alliance of Iowa said though she is supportive of teaching about religions, public schools classes on religious subjects should should be about all major religions from a secular perspective. 'Just by the very nature of this legislation as written, you would be giving preference in law to one religion over all others,' Ryan said. '… Unfortunately, Bible-specific courses and scores can become nothing more than Sunday school lessons masquerading as instruction about religion. The outcome of narrowly focused Bible courses often becomes a way to endorse one religious perspective in public schools, insisting on a conservative evangelical Christian view and promoting that with public school students.' But Dr. Bill Jaynes, a professor of education at California State University, Long Beach, said he has conducted research showing 'Bible literacy' has significant benefits for all K-12 students, saying the Bible is referenced in many works of literature and important context for historical events. 'There may be other gains, but what we're looking at is the academic achievement of students,' he said. 'And there is a benefit to students when they are high in Bible literacy — and it not only affects their knowledge in the Bible, but again, their ability to read Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Charles Dickens, on down the line, to understand our history, to understand people of other faiths.' He also said these courses were constitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Abington School District v. Schempp. Though the court decision found the mandatory inclusion of religious activity in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, Jaynes said the ruling also found religious content could be taught at public schools when 'presented objectively as part of the secular curriculum of education.' Melissa Peterson, with the Iowa State Education Association, said there are no current provisions in Iowa law that prohibit public schools from having courses on the Bible or other religions, noting that she personally took a Bible literature honors course when she was a student in the Iowa City Public School District. 'The reason why we are opposed to this legislation is not necessarily because of the content area, but because of the fact that it's unnecessary and duplicative,' Peterson said. Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, said as an ordained Lutheran minister, she believes the study of Christian scripture is important for her faith community, but that 'the task of the community of faith is very different than the task of our public schools.' Trone Garriott said she does not support the legislation as this instruction is already allowed, but that as some advocates for the measure have called for 'encouragement' for public schools to teach this material and that the measure 'advocates for the Bible,' which is promoting Christianity over other religions in a public school setting. 'By only featuring one religious community's scriptures, this legislation is preferencing,' she said. 'It's making a claim that only one is relevant for culture and history, which, in and of itself, is moved to endorse and promote one religious community, which is not constitutional.' Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville, said the bill sets out guidelines to ensure there are no legal or constitutional issues with teaching courses on the Bible. She said she supports classes on the Bible in public schools because of the 'enormous impact on America and Western civilization' the religious text has had. 'Studies show that too few of our children have been exposed to the Bible and therefore lack the background to understand certain parts of our history and literature, et cetera,' Salmon said. 'A solid grasp of biblical content, its major themes and stories, its characters, its history, poetry, et cetera, is essential to properly understanding American history. That is our history, society and culture.' The measure advanced 2-1 and is available for consideration by the Senate Education Committee. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
