Few ideas have shaped the political, religious, and cultural self-understanding of the United States more than American exceptionalism. At its core is the belief that the United States is fundamentally different from—and often morally superior to—other nations, possessing a unique mission in world history. While the phrase itself is relatively modern, the ideas behind it reach back to the earliest days of European settlement in North America and have evolved through war, expansion, theology, and political ideology.
This post traces the origins of American exceptionalism, explains the closely related concept of Manifest Destiny, and explores how these ideas have developed over time and continue to influence Christian Nationalism in the present day.
What Is American Exceptionalism?
American exceptionalism refers to the belief that:
- The United States has a unique origin and destiny
- Its political system embodies universal moral principles
- It plays a special role in history, often framed as redemptive or exemplary
The concept can appear in positive forms (the U.S. as a model of liberty and democracy) or negative forms (the U.S. as exempt from the rules or constraints applied to other nations). It is not a single doctrine but a cluster of assumptionsthat have been reinterpreted across different historical moments.
Puritan Origins: “A City Upon a Hill”
The roots of American exceptionalism are often traced to the English Puritans who settled New England in the early 17th century.
In 1630, John Winthrop, aboard the Arbella, delivered a sermon describing the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a “city upon a hill,” watched by the world and judged by God. This language did not originally express national superiority but covenantal responsibility: if the community failed morally, it would face divine judgment.
Key elements introduced by the Puritans included:
- A sense of chosen purpose
- The belief that communal success or failure had theological meaning
- The fusion of religious mission with social order
Over time, this covenantal language was nationalized, shifting from a warning to a declaration of destiny.
Manifest Destiny: Concept and Origins
What Is Manifest Destiny?
Manifest Destiny was a 19th-century belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand westward across North America. The phrase was coined in 1845 by journalist John L. O’Sullivan, who argued that American expansion was inevitable, natural, and God-sanctioned.
Manifest Destiny combined:
- Territorial expansion
- Providential theology
- Racial and cultural assumptions
- Republican political ideals
Intellectual and Cultural Roots
Manifest Destiny drew from multiple sources:
- Enlightenment ideas of progress and natural rights
- Protestant theology, especially notions of providence
- Romantic nationalism, which linked land, people, and destiny
- A belief in Anglo-American cultural superiority
Although often framed as benevolent, Manifest Destiny justified:
- The displacement and destruction of Indigenous nations
- The Mexican–American War
- The expansion of slavery into new territories
It marked a shift from exemplary exceptionalism (“we are an example”) to expansionist exceptionalism (“we are entitled to rule”).
American Exceptionalism After the Civil War
The Civil War challenged exceptionalist assumptions by exposing deep moral and political fractures. Yet it also reshaped them.
- The Union victory was often interpreted as a redemptive national trial
- Abraham Lincoln reframed national suffering in almost biblical terms
- Exceptionalism was recast as moral perseverance rather than innocence
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American exceptionalism increasingly took on imperial dimensions, influencing:
- Overseas expansion (Philippines, Caribbean)
- Missionary movements
- The belief that American values should be exported globally
The Cold War: Exceptionalism and Moral Dualism
During the Cold War, American exceptionalism became deeply embedded in the struggle against communism.
Key features included:
- The U.S. as the defender of freedom and democracy
- A moral binary between the “free world” and totalitarian regimes
- The fusion of national identity with civil religion
Religious language flourished:
- “Under God” added to the Pledge of Allegiance
- “In God We Trust” adopted as the national motto
- Christianity increasingly linked with patriotism
This period cemented the idea that America had a global moral mandate, reinforcing exceptionalism as both political ideology and cultural instinct.
Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Crisis and Contestation
In the aftermath of Vietnam, Watergate, and later the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, American exceptionalism faced increasing scrutiny.
Critics argued that:
- Exceptionalism masked moral failures
- It encouraged interventionism without accountability
- It conflated national interest with divine approval
Supporters, however, reframed exceptionalism as:
- A defense of Western values
- A bulwark against secularism or relativism
- A justification for strong national identity
It is within this contested space that Christian Nationalism has emerged as a significant force.
American Exceptionalism and Christian Nationalism Today
What Is Christian Nationalism?
Christian Nationalism is not simply Christian patriotism. It is the belief that:
- The United States was founded as a Christian nation
- Christianity should be privileged in public life
- National success depends on religious conformity
- American laws and identity should reflect a particular vision of Christianity
How Exceptionalism Feeds Christian Nationalism
American exceptionalism provides Christian Nationalism with:
- A theological narrative (America as chosen or favored)
- A historical framework (selective reading of the founding era)
- A moral mandate (political goals framed as divine will)
Manifest Destiny’s legacy is visible in:
- Language of spiritual warfare
- Appeals to reclaim or “restore” the nation
- The belief that political defeat equals religious persecution
In this framework, Christianity is no longer a transnational faith but a marker of national identity.
Theological and Historical Tensions
From a Christian theological perspective, American exceptionalism raises significant questions:
- Can any nation claim a divine mandate without falling into idolatry?
- How does national chosenness align with the universal scope of the gospel?
- What happens when political power becomes a measure of faithfulness?
Historically, Christianity has thrived both within and outside state power. The fusion of national identity with divine purpose has often led to exclusion, coercion, and moral blindness.
Conclusion
American exceptionalism emerged from early religious ideals, was intensified by expansionist doctrines like Manifest Destiny, and evolved through war, empire, and global leadership. While it has inspired democratic ideals and reform movements, it has also justified conquest, exclusion, and violence.
Today, its influence on Christian Nationalism represents a critical crossroads. Whether American exceptionalism is understood as responsibility or entitlement, example or empire, will shape not only political discourse but also the future public witness of Christianity in the United States.
Understanding its history is essential—not to dismiss it uncritically or embrace it unquestioningly, but to discern how faith, power, and national identity have become so tightly intertwined.
