‘God is dead” the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared in his 1882 book, The Gay Science. These three words, written as atheism and rationalism drove a sharp decline in European faith, arguably marked the beginning of the modern age.
But how would the murderers of God fill this great void, Nietzsche fretted. “What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent?”
Now, 139 years later, we’re seeing the answer to this question convulse America. Founded by Puritan zealots seeking to create a shining city on a hill, America has long been the religious aberration among generally irreligious western countries. Religious observance cratered in Britain and Germany long ago, but America remained a country that “did” God.
However, in recent years church membership has fallen off a cliff. A Gallup poll last month put it at 47 per cent, the first time it has dropped below half. Of course the US still has a huge and devoted Christian population, and has a long way to go to catch up with atheist Britain, where church membership is below 10 per cent, but the data shows no doubt: Americans are killing God.
The real issue now is what sacred games are they inventing instead? The answer helps explain why, even by its own standards, America has been such a truly bonkers place in recent years.
Advertisement
Politics in America increasingly resembles a religion; a tribal identity and moral creed that infiltrates every aspect of life. This is why recent presidential elections have developed such an apocalyptic feel to them — each side genuinely views the other as evil.
Christian evangelicals adored Trump, but a revealing fact about the 2016 election is that his support was highest among Christians who no longer attend church. It was the decay of tightly bonded faith communities that laid the foundations for his presidency.
But the waning of Christianity in America ought to be good news, no? Don’t religions cause wars and enshrine prejudice? Generally, secularists view the decline of religious observance as an encouraging development, one that will lead to a more rational and enlightened society. And perhaps in the long term this will be true for America too. But what we’re experiencing now is a society full of powerful religious impulses that is losing the ability to organise them around established institutions.
The danger is that newly un-Christian Americans don’t all suddenly evolve into Richard Dawkins (which is its own relief), but are instead finding other, more chaotic ways to express their desire for purpose and higher meaning.
As Christianity retreats, we are seeing a surge of interest in quasi-religions and faiths: there’s Trumpism and its twisted cousin, alt-rightism — but also growing obsessions with wellness, astrology and even the likes of SoulCycle and bitcoin, which inspire a near-religious fervour among their most devoted adherents. One can also view the techno-utopianism of Silicon Valley and radical environmentalism through this prism.
Advertisement
Then you have QAnon, the insidious pro-Trump conspiracy movement that has many thousands of followers and was partly responsible for the lunacy of the January 6 insurrection.
Although God is very dead to most white liberal Americans, they’ve also found a way to express their deep protestant roots. With its evangelical fervour, the social justice movement has been labelled “the great awokening”, which speaks to just how saturated in Christian morality this crusade is.
There’s no doubt the religious impulse has slipped its leash and is on the loose in America. My fear is that these urges will continue to wreak havoc as the country adjusts to its growing irreligiosity.
There is an upside for Britain, though. Many in the UK are understandably uneasy about the importation of American culture wars, which map awkwardly onto our own history and preoccupations. I suspect, however, that our staunch godlessness will shield us from the worst excesses of this long and messy festival of atonement.
Josh Glancy is Washington Correspondent
