Replication data for: 'And no one will keep that light from shining'. Civil Religion after September 11 in Speeches of George W. Bush.

After the attacks of September 11, media reports claimed that the American president G. W. Bush was promoting his personal agenda as a born-again Christian and crusader in his speeches. Not only in Europe, he was described as a “theologian in chief” who uses “overt Christian references”. However, a critical discourse analysis shows that portraying Bush as an exceptional president who is overly religious is a misinterpretation. The numerous references to God, the idea that America is on a mission, destined to fulfill God’s work on earth, can all be explained through American civil religion. This concept explains the existence of a public religious dimension in the political sphere of the United States. It is mainly expressed through presidential speeches, which reflect a set of beliefs, rituals and myths about America that include references to God and divine symbols; but such references must be seen independently from particular religions and denominations. In order to reassess George W. Bush’s rhetoric, the following question was examined: To what extent did George W. Bush use elements of American civil religion in his speeches after 9/11, and for what purposes? The main findings of the analysis are: (1) Bush used the rhetoric of civil religion, but seldom evangelical references. (2) In that, Bush followed his predecessors' rhetoric closely. (3) Bush used civil religious language to console and unite the Americans after 9/11, and to gain support for the military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since presidential rhetoric can be seen as an indicator and reflection of American values, this analysis sheds light on the political culture and atmosphere in the U.S. after 9/11. It rejects perceptions – especially in Europe – that a strong shift towards religion in the public sphere took place.