• GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    11 months ago

    Remember that under the Capitol dome there is a mural called The Apotheosis of Washington, which depicts Washington ascending to heaven like he’s Christ. This is par for the course.

    • Dolores [love/loves]@hexbear.net
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      11 months ago

      apotheosis is such an illuminating piece of art its unreal. and people say art historians are superfluous.

      but the relationship of yankee civil religion to protestantism (and the specific sects) vs. catholicism is pretty fraught. especially considering how many of the “founding fathers” were not partisan to specific sects

      • infuziSporg [e/em/eir]@hexbear.net
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        11 months ago

        Here’s something I learned from a very pivoting podcast episode.

        Part of “not having a state religion” meant not having an ecclesiastical authority that could curtail the ravages of settler colonialism. In small settler communities, the church was not accountable to anyone and the members of the church were deputized as law enforcement.

        The diversity of Protestant sects and movements meant that they could not be reined in, and on the frontier, the independent churches had no power higher than themselves.

        https://www.historicly.net/p/the-history-of-american-christian#details