Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as expressed through public rituals, symbols, and ceremonies on sacred days and at sacred places. It is distinct from churches, although church officials and ceremonies are sometimes incorporated into the practice of civil religion. Countries described as having a civil religion include France and the United States. As a concept, it originated in French political thought and became a major topic for U.S. sociologists since its use by Robert Bellah in 1960.
The Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, is often used for state funerals for political leaders.
The Arc de Triomphe in Paris commemorates those who died in France's wars.
The emperor Marcus Aurelius, his head ritually covered, conducts a public sacrifice at the Temple of Jupiter
Statue of Lenin at Dubna, Russia, built in 1937; it is 25 metres tall
Robert Neelly Bellah was an American sociologist and the Elliott Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He was internationally known for his work related to the sociology of religion.
Bellah in 2008