The British tradition of burying and commemorating a national hero in a Royal Church (Westminster Abbey with deep Anglican importance), irrespective of the religious alignment, reveals the British relationship between State, National Identity and Religion. In contrast, the First Amendment enforces a strict separation of Church and State in the United States of America. Christianity, especially Anglicanism, is established in the constitution and culture of the UK. Some secular individuals such as Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and Winston Churchill depict that British national identity has historically been framed in Christian narrative though modern Britain is evolving into a multicultural society.

21st-century Britain, though religiously diverse, has security for all faiths; the continued role of the Church of England in State functions shows a lingering biblical interpretation of national identity. The Abbey’s function as both a religious site and a sanctuary for secular heroes signifies a historical belief that the greatness of Britain is divinely ordained. This concept is rooted in protestant reformation ideology, with England assuming the role of new Israel under God’s providence. Contrarily, in the US, national heroes are memorialised in secular spaces such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or Lincoln Memorial.

The dual role of the British monarch as Head of State and Supreme Leader of the Church of England epitomises a leadership based on the Biblical model reminiscent of divine legitimacy. The monarch is further sanctified with the coronation ceremony Christian liturgy in Westminster Abbey, framing it within a theological, not just political, tradition. Unlike in the US, presidential inaugurations include religious elements but are fundamentally secular state events.

The policy of the UK’s state funding all faith schools demonstrates an instructional acceptance of religion’s role in shaping society, reflecting the belief that biblical values underpin moral education. The US, in contrast, prohibits direct state funding of religious institutions despite ongoing debates.

26 unelected Lords Spiritual are the bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, which resembles pre-enlightenment European governance where the Church played a direct significant role in governance contrasting sharply with the US where clergy have no formal political power.  This arrangement in the UK signifies a historical interpretation of the Bible as not just a spiritual guide but a source of law-making similar to the role of priests and prophets in ancient Israel.

Concluding, having lived in the UK for over a decade, the visit to Westminster Abbey, With its intriguing history, is an eye opener for me personally. The sacralisation of great and important English and British figures such as King Alfred the Great, Queen Elizabeth 1, etc, reflects a broader cultural tendency to interpret and repurpose biblical narratives in ways that align with political legitimacy and national identity.  This demonstrates how the UK has used the bible as a rhetorical and cultural instrument, mixing protestant providentialism with national invention. Most importantly, using the biblical text not just as religious text but as foundational stories to reshape and legitimise authority, inspire collective identity and frame historical struggles in moral terms.