The Encyclopedia of World Religions

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ernments have had their own religions. In Europe the idea of separating religion and government first arose among some Protestants. These Prot estants were the Anabaptists of the 16th century ( see M ENNONITES ) and the Baptists and QUAKERS of the 17th century ( see B APTIST CHURCHES ). Before these movements, religion and nationalism went hand in hand. A good example is J OAN OF A RC who saw it as her mission from G OD to help the heir to the French throne become king. The first governments to separate themselves from reli gion—in technical terms, to “disestablish” reli gion—were North American colonies of Great Britain, such as Pennsylvania. The first nation that officially separated religion and govern ment was the United States. Although the United States is officially secular, it often thinks of itself in Protestant terms. In the early 20th century, it added the words “In God we trust” to its money, and in 1954 it added the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw several powerful movements of religious national ism. These movements did not all adopt the same political stance. Islamic movements in the Middle East, Hindu nationalism in India, and Christian nationalism in the United States were reaction ary. They wanted to restore the past—or what they perceived the past to have been. At least one movement was revolutionary: the black national ism proclaimed at various times by the Nation of Islam ( see I SLAM , N ATION OF ) in the United States. And at least one movement—Jewish national ists who settled on the west bank of the Jordan River—was colonizing. It wanted to appropriate

Nanak (1469–1539) the first Sikh guru and founder of the Sikh religion Nanak was born in the Punjab, the region of the five tributaries of the Indus river in northwest India and northern Pakistan. He grew up in a Hindu family. As a young adult he hosted evening gatherings for devotional singing. A Muslim musician accompanied him. At the age of 30 Nanak disappeared for three days. On his return he proclaimed a religion that transcended the differences between Hindus and Muslims and worshipped the one true G OD . He also rejected distinctions between castes and the use of images in WORSHIP . The proper way to wor ship God, he taught, was through MEDITATION and the singing of hymns. Nanak traveled, teaching and singing and becoming the GURU of a group of disciples ( sishyas or sikkhas ). He was the first in a lineage of 10 Sikh gurus. His sayings are preserved in the Sikh holy book, the A DI G RANTH . See also S IKHISM . nationalism, religious Movements that link the power and fate of a nation with a specific religion. In the second half of the 20th century and the begin ning of the 21st century, religious nationalism was a major force in many areas. Some called religious nationalism “fundamentalism,” an analogy with fundamentalist C HRISTIANITY in the United States, even though fundamentalism has not traditionally been active in politics (see E VANGELICAL C HRISTIANITY and FUNDAMENTALISM , C HRISTIAN ). The separation of religion and governments is relatively new. Throughout most of history gov

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