240 years ago, more or less on July 4 (the actual date of the signing of the Declaration is debated), the members of the Continental Congress signed a document that severed the bonds of the American colonies from their British rulers.  For many Americans, this day is still cause for celebration for that reason, as well as what the United States has become.  For others, it represents virtually everything they loathe.  At any rate, this blog is intended to explore the idea of “American exceptionalism.”

The idea may have been used by Alexis de Tocqueville and was certainly invoked by American Communists (ironically) in the 1920s.  It became a popular term and idea among both American historians looking to answer the question about what made the United States different and in a more pejorative sense by writers and critics in the later twentieth and early twenty-first centuries to castigate the nation for its imperialistic tendencies.  The latter argued that America was not in fact exceptional and possessed many negative characteristics like inequality, class problems and racism, not to mention the already noted imperialism.  The idea has also been appropriated by Christian Evangelicals especially (but earlier by liberal, secular postmillenialists) to assert the view that essentially America was a Christian nation (the “Christian America” thesis) in its founding and its subsequent development.

Exceptionalism can connote either or both of the following ideas: (1) relating to the political origins of the nation, and having to do with the unique blend of republicanism, religious orientation, centrality of democracy and liberty and an adherence to free market ideals and (2) the idea of superiority of the nation over others due to the above characteristics and the national mission implied.  Below is my own take on the question.

First the United States is different from other nations in some very significant ways.  Not only was it founded on political and legal principles that were just beginning to be advocated elsewhere, but these principles were embodied in a fundamental law called the Constitution.  For well over 100 years after 1776, these constitutional principles continued to be dominant in legal and political thought, notwithstanding deviation from them in the slavery controversy.  Limited government, essentially free market economic structures, an effective rule of law, and an appropriate (in most cases) recognition and protection of individuals in terms of rights as well as the freedom to act as individuals, made up the essence of the exceptionalism.  It was far from perfect, but it was mostly vastly different from any other nation, even the mother country Great Britain.  In fact the elements of this aspect of exceptionalism have continued to persist despite efforts to undermine some of them, such as limited government or free markets, or even an enforceable and effective rule of law, which Progressives, New Dealers, and Liberals (American-style) wanted to ignore or reduce to achieve what they believed was progress.

Second, America was and remains more religious in a significant way than other nations, if one can measure such things.  Moreover our “religiosity” is rooted in Christian theology, even though it is sometimes diluted and distorted.  These Christian principles are found, albeit in a less than robust form, in the Declaration of Independence itself, not to mention the Constitution.  No we are not a Christian nation, but we are and have been a nation in which the ideas that the Bible teach suffuse many aspects of our political and legal thought and practice—all for our good.  This can be seen I believe particularly in the remarkable culture of non-corruption, contrasted with European and other nations, even though it seems to have broken down to a degree.  That bespeaks a strong notion of virtue among citizens and that in turn indicates strong roots in the Christian ethical tradition.

Despite its flaws, which all nations will have, because all individuals are flawed (sinful). The United States is indeed exceptional.  The Declaration signed on that muggy day in Philadelphia 240 years ago set the tone, the Constitution followed, but in the end, it was our citizenry which helped preserve the ideals and the effectiveness of the institutional structures which have proven so beneficial for not only us but for many others outside the country.

Our response as Christians is to thank God for His abundant grace and mercy.  There is no guarantee that any nation will last for very long.  Most have lasted no longer than a few hundred years (as unified sovereignties).  We cannot attribute our continued happy existence to our own genius, though we certainly have been blessed by many exceptional people in all areas or endeavor, but ultimately alone to God, the God of our Fathers.  But our Fathers in reality is much more than the God who blessed the founding and development of the nation. It is the God of our spiritual forefathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Moses, of David, of Peter and Paul, and so many from the early church to today who have sought diligently and first the God of the universe in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is a dasy for thanksgiving, but foremost thanksgiving to God.