The New Forms of "Civil Religion" in the Public Space

Throughout the centuries, societies have enjoyed religious homogeneity and there has been a great level of interdependence between society and the existing religious systems. However, as history progressed and modernization impregnated social foundations, religious practice has been changing due to the rise of secularization and criticism of traditional religious systems. This change has ushered in new forms of religious expression, which have in turn assumed quasi-religious forms known as "civil religion". This phenomenon can be seen as a deliberate attempt made by several civil authorities to monopolize man's natural religious dimension and to hog the public sphere.