American Unexceptionalism

In the disorienting months after terrorists attacked America in 2001, Americans searched for comfort and meaning, and political leaders sometimes assumed the role of pastors in chief. On the first anniversary of the fall of the Twin Towers, President George W. Bush addressed the nation from Ellis Island. He closed with words borrowed directly from the Gospel of John in the New Testament, which describes the birth of Jesus Christ and his mission in the world. But in Bush’s retelling, the divine mission belonged to America.