American vs European Jeremiad in Society - Essay Example

Jeremiads The use of Jeremiads by to express their bitter laments about the society s back to existence of prophet Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet. Using a serious tone, authors of Jeremiads express their deep lament/mourning about the state of the society and its morals while giving a prophecy about its imminent downfall. For example, speaking through the book of Jeremiah and lamentations, prophet Jeremiah brings out a lament because Jerusalem had ignored God. He gives a prophecy of a consequential downfall which actually came to pass. The main aim of these Jeremiads is to invoke the values cherished by their audiences while prophesying dire consequences for the society if its people do not act upon the stated values. Coming to the America society, its Jeremiad traces its genesis to the writing of the Puritan Jeremiad. This Jeremiad contained Puritan’s expressions of contempt and desired reformations in the America society. The Puritans sought to bring the nation to a state of purity similar to the type Christianity that existed in the time of Jesus. Later versions of the Jeremiad owe their socio-political origin and functions to the sermons America’s early emigrant fathers. What differentiates the American Jeremiad from its European counterparts Though American Jeremiad traces its origin to the rhetoric in the first generation of European Puritans, it came to be a ritual renewal of the concept of New England in the American History. According to Bercovitch, the American Jeremiad was not just a tool for condemning a wayward/prodigal society but also a call for the society to return to its Covenantal obligations. The American Jeremiad was also call for a reclaimation of the society’s mission as a chosen people whose purpose was to play a distinct role in the divine economy1. Therefore, the American Jeremiad did not just express a lamentation of the existing society and neither did it predict its down fall. Instead the American Jeremiad was a lamentation over the society’s present state conjoined with a celebration of an expected glorious future for the society. As a result of this, the American Jeremiad had a distinct power to forge an ideological consensus among the people. The effect of this quality is that the Jeremiad was able to transform all emergent crises in the long, turbulent American history2. The European Jeremiad was derived from the Old Testament writings of prophet Jeremiah in the Bible. According to Bercovitch, the European Jeremiad gives a prophecy of disaster coming upon the society without offering a lot of hope that salvation and reform can actually be realized. This becomes the main feature that differentiates the American Jeremiad form the European Jeremiad1. Such kind of a Jeremiad does not spur people to action since it does not give them hope that their efforts towards avoiding the imminent fall of the society will bear much fruit. On the other hand, the main intention of the American Jeremiad is to spur the people into action because of its imagination that it is very possible to achieve a civil state which is better than the existing one through the undertaking of moral corrections. Bercovitch further explains that the development of the European Jeremiad takes place within a hierarchical order which is static. This jeremiad taught the people lessons about historical recurrence accompanied by vanity in human wishes1. These lessons amounted to a large scale ritual reinforcement of tradition. Therefore its function was to cause social practice to conform to a social idea that was complete and perfected. It exercised its power to establish cultural conformity and social control in order to meet the demands of history3. Contrary to the European jeremiad, the American Puritan Jeremiad was basically the ritual of a culture whose basis was faith in process, in other words, a culture in errand. This Jeremiad substituted teleology for hierarchy and therefore it was able to discard the Stasis ideology of the Old World and replaced it with a Vision of the Future ideology of the New World. Therefore, its role was to create a climate of anxiety in the society. It is this climate of anxiety that assisted in releasing and spurning to action the restless “progressivist” energies necessary for the success of the venture1. In terms of their emergence, Bercovitch says that the European Jeremiahs focused less on the spiritual city of God. Instead, they engaged themselves fully in the city of man and its secular affairs. It also insisted on virtuous living and moral discipline instead of spiritual regeneration and evangelical faith. According to its writers, virtuous living and moral discipline held a promise of material prosperity and general temporal well being of man. On the other hand, the immigrant Puritans paid more attention to the city of God, spiritual regeneration and the evangelical faith5 . According to the Puritans, a focus on spiritual regeneration, the evangelical faith and the city of God leads to salvation. They also claimed that it could make the society realize combined blessings from the city of God as well as the city of man. This is to say that their Puritan Jeremiad promised a combination of sacred rewards and secular rewards to all who were ready to conform to them . Over time, the American Jeremiad has changed from an architect of theocracy to a builder of a modern democracy. This is a course for the Jeremiad to adapt itself to the changing times. According to Bercovitch, this capacity of the American Jeremiad to accommodate change is a symbol of vitality1. Why the difference between the American Jeremiad and the European Jeremiad has made a difference in the American Policy Identity From the above discussion, we realize that the American Jeremiad gives an alternative of hope to a prodigal society which in turn spurs them to act in order to achieve their divine role apart from avoiding an imminent downfall. The policies developed in reference to the American Jeremiad are aimed at helping America to become an economic role model and symbol of possible transformations in every society. Their policy identity allows them to use every opportunity and the trust accorded to them to achieve the best for themselves and the whole world. The aim is to create an ideal American and Global society as well as spreading its core values. An example of America’s exceptionality in its policies is the American Foreign Policy. Unlike other developed nations, America is opposed to the Old World society which has entangling alliances, frequent war, economic globalization and multilateral diplomacy. This is because the America’s unique New World is uncomfortable and suspicious in the midst of an Old World society. It could threaten its achievement of the American Jeremiad promises. American policies find weight in allowing for individual rights, freedoms and responsibilities. American policies promote a unique national identity and consciousness. Conclusion The element of hope is the prominent feature of the American Jeremiad. This Jeremiad presents to the society an opportunity to change from its prodigal state so as to achieve a better life. It also challenges the society to aim at fulfilling its sacred mission yet reminding them that a change in morals was the only way out. Such kind of writing lights the anger for change among the people in the society and causes them to release their “progressivist” energies. The end result of this is a transformed society always working to fulfil its divine responsibility. This is opposed to the European Jeremiad which teaches about vanity in human visions hence creating a society with limited motivation or hope for change. References Adrienne Koch (1965). The America enlightenment: The Shaping of the American Experience and a Free Society. New York. George Braziller. Sacvan Bercovitch (1975). The Puritan Origins of the American Self. New Haven. Yale university Press. Sacvan Berkovitch. (1978). The American Jeremiad. Madison. University of Wisconsin Press. Walt Whitman (1846). “American Futurity’ in Gathering of the Forces. eds, Cleveland Rogers and John Black. Online. http://dspace.vidyanidhi.org.in:8080/dspace/bitstream/2009/1282/5/UOH-1997-347-4.pdf. Viewed: 6th April, 2011. Warren Susan (1968). “History and Intellectual of Uses of Usable past” in the American Experience. ed, Henning Cohen. Boston. Read More