Join Mike Boyle on Radio Tipping Point as he delves into the complex concept of “The Sacred State,” exploring how nations invent religious-like narratives to forge a common identity and manage internal conflict. This episode, also referred to as “citizen state” or “citizen religion,” was sparked by recent events, including a large-scale event in Arizona interpreted as a religious revival, and comments from an Austrian politician regarding Christian identity.
Mike gives numerous examples of the origins of this concept, where it can be found, where it will lead, and ultimately how listeners can defend themselves from this political milieu.
🌍 A Whirlwind Tour Through History (600+ Years in Minutes)
The discussion covers historical moments that shaped the link between identity and state, including:
The East-West Schism (1054): Which led to the formation of a new church and identity.
The Concordat of Worms (1122): A concession where economics, particularly the management of commerce, played a significant role in defining the power dynamic between the Church and the nobility.
The Holy Roman Empire: Its inception, centered in Central Europe, and its eventual end at the Thirty Years’ War.
Late 18th Century Revolutions: The formation of the United States, based on a new narrative for its immigrants and the convenient forgetting of indigenous people and slaves, and the French Revolution (1789), which aimed to separate church and state and incorporate other nationalities into the concept of “France”.
🛡️ Nationalism, Civilization, and the ‘Other’
Mike explores the rise of nationalism in the 19th century and its conflict with the idea of a civilization—a multinational entity united by common values rather than language or religion.
The Holy Alliance (1815): The monarchies of Prussia, Russia, and the House of Austria viewed nationalism as a threat to their multi-national empires.
Religion as a Pretext: The liberation of Greece in the 1820s is given as an example of how nationalism was often based on religion.
The Othering: The show discusses how the Jewish people were historically considered stateless, and how modern rhetoric (in the US, Austria, Hungary, and elsewhere) uses terms like “globalism” and “citizens of nowhere” to label and ostracize those who don’t belong to the defined national group.
⛪ The Rise of Civil Religion and Narrative Construction
The show examines the theoretical underpinnings of “citizen religion,” drawing on:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract: Considered the “grandfather” of the concept, as he sought a replacement for religion to create a common national narrative.
Émile Durkheim: Who claimed every group must possess some form of religious dimension or spirituality.
Robert Bella’s “Civil Religion in America” (1967): Discussing how political figures like President Kennedy use general references to “God” to allow for individual interpretation, making the concept universally applicable within the nation.
Classic and Modern Examples of the Sacred State
The conversation provides concrete examples from around the world:
Rwanda: Paul Kagame’s forced narrative to ignore tribalism and make the nation itself the religion, tying the identity to his leadership.
France: The secular nation created a replacement for the Catholic Church through imagery like the Tricolor, the Marseillaise, and the Arc de Triomphe, with Bastille Day as the culmination.
Soviet Union: Where Marxism-Leninism became the religion, replacing the Orthodox identity, and using revered figures like Lenin and Stalin in a way that mirrored religious iconography.
Australia & New Zealand: Their common identity is based heavily on war, particularly Anzac Day (April 25th) and the Battle of Gallipoli, and the idea of service to the British Commonwealth.
American Exceptionalism: The narrative of the United States as the “promised land,” with European immigrants likened to followers of Moses, and Europe depicted as Egypt. Mike also details the political ritual of the Fourth of July and the fallacy of Thanksgiving.
Austria’s Quest for Identity
Mike brings the discussion back to Austria, where the identity shifted after the First World War:
From a monarchy of 60 million people to a country of 6 million, the initial idea was based on the “German nation”.
Later, Austria defined itself as the “Country of the Mountains” (Land der Berge).
Post-WWII, the national identity was built upon the concept of Austrian Neutrality—”we are who we are because we are neutral”. This too, is viewed as a form of citizen religion.
💡 Closing Thoughts: Vulnerability and Manipulation
Mike concludes with a powerful quote from Andrew Keene, warning that “Your deepest beliefs are your biggest vulnerabilities,” and that charlatans exploit these passionate, unquestioned beliefs (in religion, politics, etc.) to manipulate people. He urges listeners to be aware of the narratives being played up to avoid being “hoodwinked”.
