| Sumario: | The article examines whether the Declaration of Independence initiated not only a new nation but also a new political religion, focusing on the concept of creedal nationalism—the idea that America is fundamentally defined by a political creed rather than ethnicity or religion. It traces competing interpretations of American identity, including germ theory (ethno-historical inheritance) and Protestant religious influences, highlighting figures like Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Alexis de Tocqueville, and John Quincy Adams. The piece discusses the challenges creedal nationalism faces as a quasi-religion, including its limited spiritual appeal compared to traditional faiths, its vulnerability to leftist political uses of equality, and its modest political aims that may neglect higher moral or transcendent goods. Finally, it considers how America’s religious and cultural diversity complicates creedal nationalism’s claim to unify the nation, suggesting that a fuller understanding of American identity must engage both historical inheritance and spiritual dimensions.
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