Vivek Ramaswamy and the Limits of Civil Religion
Religion takes many forms in pluralistic America, whether a vague “spirituality,” a confessional affirmation made by a Roman Catholic, a Presbyterian, a Jew, or a Muslim, or whether a more general form of religiosity known as “civil religion” — a kind of political piety applied to political sensibilities and policies that accepts America has a special role in God’s providence among the nations.
The literature on civil religion is vast and vexed, but suffice it to say that religious Americans have certain spiritual expectations of their political leaders. They should believe in God, pray, and quote the Bible (at least occasionally). Although civil religion has been criticized for being less than biblical, it is better than theocracy or secularism, “the naked public square” (as Richard John Neuhaus put it).
American civil religion, however, has been broadly Judeo-Christian in focus, and presidential candidates embrace it in some sense (although Barack Obama pushed the limits). Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan did so in exemplary fashion. But could a Hindu become President of the United States and still tap into the ethos of civil religion?
Vivek Ramaswamy — An American Success Story
Vivek Ramaswamy hopes so, because it might be him. This 38-year-old businessman founded Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company, in 2014. He was one of the first Republican candidates to declare his candidacy as a Republican for the presidency and has been in the headlines ever since. He preceded his candidacy with Woke, Inc., which astutely assessed the hard left’s takeover of many corporations.
He was at the center of the first Republican debate, with the other candidates realizing they could not ignore this articulate, fast-talking, and ever-smiling force of nature. Rather than evaluating Ramaswamy’s specific policies, we will consider his identity as a Hindu, who is seeking the support of conservative voters and who wants to harness civil religion.
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Ramaswamy is a young success story, having started several “multi-billion dollar” businesses, as he puts it. His parents came from India with little money, but their son found the American dream through smarts and hard work. So far, American conservatives are cheering. But the dream was not achieved by assimilating to American Christianity or Judaism. Ramaswamy claims to be a Hindu, but one who went to Catholic school.
A Clearly Conservative Statement of Principles
His statement of principles is found on his web site.
- God is real.
- There are two genders.
- Human flourishing requires fossil fuels.
- Reverse racism is racism.
- An open border is no border.
- Parents determine the education of their children.
- The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind.
- Capitalism lifts people up from poverty.
- There are three branches of the U.S. government, not four.
- The U.S. constitution is the strongest guarantor of freedoms in history.
These principles put Ramaswamy squarely in the conservative camp, but rarely will a candidate lead with theology: “God is real.” As such, he pits himself against secularism and for religious freedom, but what does he, as a Hindu, mean by “God” and religion generally?
Expression of Spiritual Beliefs
When asked about his spiritual beliefs in a public forum, Ramaswamy did not shy away from saying he was a Hindu, but then affirmed something that does not comport with Hinduism. He claimed that we are all “made in the image of God.” But this teaching is unique to the Bible. No non-biblical religion affirms it.
The Hindu view of humanity divides humans into four hierarchically arranged castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras) and places many humans outside of caste entirely. These are the untouchables or Dalits. While modern India has struggled to transcend this teaching, the caste system is an inexorable element of Hinduism. Nothing could be more un-American than the caste system, given the Declaration of Independence’s affirmation that “all men are created equal.”
In the same meeting, Ramaswamy said that God was “within all of us,” a teaching closer to a pantheistic version of Hinduism than to Christian anthropology. According to Christian doctrine, God is everywhere, but he is only savingly present in the redeemed, “Christ in you the hope of glory,” for example, as Paul put it. God is not within all of us in the sense that we are all reconciled to God or in fellowship with him.
America’s Founding Ethos
Ramaswamy appeals to Christian conservatives by saying in his first point that “God is real.” But given the diverse schools of Hinduism, “God” can mean many things, and monotheism is not first among them. While some Hindus worship one God, many choose from among a polytheistic assortment or believe in an impersonal and monistic deity known as Brahman. For Ramaswamy to make “God is real” stick with most Americans, he must affirm monotheism, but this is not the dominant theology of Hinduism. However, he may be a Hindu monotheist. If so, he agrees with some elements of Judeo-Christian monotheism, but shares no holy Scripture with it.
Can Vivek Ramaswamy, as a Hindu, win the support of conservative Christian voters within the broader category of American civil religion? While Hindus are welcome in America, Hinduism is simply not part of the founding ethos of our country. Hinduism and the biblical faith are miles apart in both metaphysics and morality.
While Mr. Ramaswamy is an American-living and Christian-friendly Hindu (unlike the current Hindu nationalist President of India), he will have to spread the net of civil religion extremely wide — perhaps to the breaking point — to capture the support of traditional conservatives.
Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, and author of World Religions in Seven Sentences.
