The freedom narrative and the War on Terror
C ivil‐religious idolatry for the 9/11 generation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11218376 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ryan T O'Leary (0000-0002-0099-846X, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Stevens Point Wisconsin USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 298-312 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Peace & Change (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0149-0508 • E-ISSN: 1468-0130 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/pech.12637 |
| OpenAlex | W4386964104 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
The dominant narrative by which political and military leaders justified the American War on Terror held that America was attacked on 9/11 because America is “the brightest beacon of freedom and opportunity in the world.” Today, an entire generation has been raised in the shadow of 9/11 and steeped in a dualistic and militaristic understanding of American destiny. That view of America's role in Providence is centered on a totem cult of the sacrificial soldier and makes the flag a symbol of American greatness and of freedom itself. This essay examines the “freedom narrative” as a justification of the War on Terror, analyses the cult of the sacrificial soldier as a backstop for a militaristic religious nationalism, and ultimately shows how the dominant narrative legitimating the war represents an idolatrous devolution of a more prophetic and classically republican understanding of American civil religion
Art · Cult · Greatness · Idolatry · Literature · Militarism · Narrative · Nationalism · Political science · Politics · Reactionary · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence · War, Ethics, and Justification · Religious Studies
The broken covenant
American Covenant
G.I. Messiahs
Messages to the World
George W. Bush, Religion, and Foreign Policy
Tragedy, Theodicy and 9/11
Motives for Martyrdom
A Crusade Gone Wrong
What Leads Some Ordinary Arab Men and Women to Approve of Terrorist Acts Against the United States
War and National Renewal
Civil religion in America
The Protean Enemy
The Elementary Forms of Religious Life
Flags, Totem Bodies, and the Meanings of 9/11
| Highly cited | No |
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