The Meaning of 31 Words

The Pledge of Allegiance and Its Interpretations

Abstract

In my essay, a case study of civil religion, I propose to examine both the history and evolution of the Pledge of Allegiance and the ultimate decision of the Supreme Court in terms of its constitutionality, as well as the remarkable dissents, using the famous notion of Robert N. Bellah. The Pledge case reveals the controversial legal as well as public attitudes towards the role of religion in American public life, especially the growing gulf between the predominantly separationist interpretation of the Establishment Clause by the Court since World War II, on the one hand, and the continuing strong role of religion in American public life, on the other.