Civil Religion and the Invention of Traditions
Constructing ‘the Singapore Nation’
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/arsr.v20i1.77Keywords:
religion, Australia, Pacific, academic studyAbstract
In this article, I adopt the concept of civil religion, and particularly those aspects that emphasize the importance of rituals and traditions in the construction of a ‘nation’, to examine the ways in which a particular nation—Singapore—is politically and socially constructed. Using two specific examples of invented rituals and traditions, I illustrate the ways in which the state attempts to build a sense of community and identity. The two examples I use are an annual choreography of spectacle and display to celebrate Singapore’s National Day, and the production of a tapestry currently on exhibition as a very public symbol of community and belonging.
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