I've just come across a recent article by Steven Kettell and Peter Kerr on the use of religious discourses in the context of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. I'll be talking about this paper with my religious langauge students this morning, since we are discussing this image from my recent book. Here … Continue reading The Brexit Religion and the Holy Grail of the NHS (Kettell & Kerr, 2021)
Category: us vs. them
“Recent tension, some division and ministry challenges:” Euphemism and avoidance in Cru leadership’s talk about racism
This is the fourth post I've written about current controversy in Campus Crusade aka Cru, one of the largest religious orders in the world. I began this series after learning through some light digging that Cru was allegedly coercing some (and now requiring all) staff to sign NDAs (You can learn a bit about this … Continue reading “Recent tension, some division and ministry challenges:” Euphemism and avoidance in Cru leadership’s talk about racism
“Simply biblical”: The sacred us vs. them narrative in Cru’s anti-CRT publication
This is my second post on the recent Campus Crusade aka Cru anti-CRT publication, written by around 65 Cru staff members and leaders, representing the views of at least 350 Cru staff. I first came across this Cru document after some light digging revealed that Cru leaders were requiring staff to sign NDAs, sometimes in … Continue reading “Simply biblical”: The sacred us vs. them narrative in Cru’s anti-CRT publication
Invoking and Distancing from Sacred Authority: Church Leaders’ Responses to a Report on the Rev. Jonathan Fletcher
This post forms part of a catalogue I am building on the subtle language of abuse. In this installment, I consider a common discursive strategy within texts that carry religious meaning: the invocation of sacred legitimating authority and, conversely, distancing from an illegitimate (often formerly sacred) authority. This strategy often works within an overall us vs. them narrative. To illustrate this, I use a set of prominent church leaders' responses to the recent thirtyone:eight report on Rev. Jonathan Fletcher's abuse while he was vicar at Emmanuel Church Wimbledon.
The Subtle Language of Abuse: A Catalogue
Before using this catalogue, please refer to the introductory post explaining the catalogue. Some of that post has been reproduced below. This is a catalogue of some of the categories of meaning that subtler abusive language accomplishes and some of the forms that this language can take, depending on the context in which they are … Continue reading The Subtle Language of Abuse: A Catalogue
Us vs. Them: Complementarianism and Culture Wars in UK Churches
Women’s Ministry leader in the FIEC, Sarah Allen, has recently published an article reporting research on the state of complementarianism in UK churches. The experiences her respondents report are concerning and worthy of careful attention, considering the scarcity of research in this area. However, Allen positions her research within an overall United States vs. United … Continue reading Us vs. Them: Complementarianism and Culture Wars in UK Churches
“Covidism:” How calling something a religion can act as a smokescreen
This morning I came across a Twitter hashtag I hadn't seen before, #CoronaReligion. One of the threads participating in this Discourse especially caught my attention, as a group of Tweeters last month proclaimed that "The fastest growing religion in the world is COVIDISM." Hashtag CovidCult. Hashtag CovidReligion. Full Thread Hmmm. Is covid a religion? Are … Continue reading “Covidism:” How calling something a religion can act as a smokescreen
Is Critical Race Theory a Religion? Responding to Carl Trueman
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash Carl Trueman's article on Critical Race Theory for the February issue of First Things caught my eye last night because of this provocative claim about religious language: All-embracing and transformative views often have a religious quality. Critical race theory is no exception. It has a creedal language and liturgy, with orthodox words (“white privilege,” … Continue reading Is Critical Race Theory a Religion? Responding to Carl Trueman
QAnon, Christian apocalypticism and the threat to US Democracy
Dr. Helen Paynter and I have written a post on Christian white supremacy, for the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. Here is a short excerpt. Visit CSBV for our full analysis and discussion. ... in this post we’ll discuss some of the ways members of a movement like white supremacist nationalism can co-opt religious … Continue reading QAnon, Christian apocalypticism and the threat to US Democracy
Religious Language 