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UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECTIVITIES OF PASTORS AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE CURRENT AMERICAN CHURCH CULTURE
| Title: | UNDERSTANDING THE SUBJECTIVITIES OF PASTORS AND BELIEFS ABOUT THE CURRENT AMERICAN CHURCH CULTURE. |
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| Name(s): |
Anderson, Michael, Author Mishtal, Joanna, Committee Chair University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor |
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| Type of Resource: | text | |
| Date Issued: | 2011 | |
| Publisher: | University of Central Florida | |
| Language(s): | English | |
| Abstract/Description: | This study investigates the spiritual subjectivities of pastors in the Mainstream White Middle Class Evangelical Church in the context of American capitalism. The Evangelical church carries extreme amounts of power and influence in shaping the beliefs of individuals in American society. However, very little pointed research of pastors' spiritual subjectivities that guide their teachings and views in this sub-sect of church culture is present in academia. Anthropology, along with other disciplines, often focuses on dominant churches from an etic perspective of politics and power relations without fully considering the spiritual beliefs of pastors. This etic perspective can miss the deeply interwoven factors, including understanding of the Scriptures and pastors' roles in their congregations, challenges associated with religious consumerist competition, and conceptualizations of church "success" that shape pastors subjectivities, and in turn help shape American Christian culture. Pastors navigate the tension between the broader capitalistic social forces and their spiritual and Biblical beliefs as many pastors of the church aim to change the unquestioned adherence to these ideals. Building on my seven years of experience as a pastor in the Orlando area and drawing on current research with a group of Evangelical pastors, I demonstrate in this study that although capitalistic social forces shape many ideals of individuals in the American Evangelical church culture, understanding pastors' spiritual subjectivities is crucial when investigating the influence of the church in America. | |
| Identifier: | CFE0003732 (IID), ucf:48771 (fedora) | |
| Note(s): |
2011-05-01 M.A. Sciences, Department of Anthropology Masters This record was generated from author submitted information. |
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| Subject(s): |
Subjectivity Pastors Beliefs Church Culture |
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| Persistent Link to This Record: | http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003732 | |
| Restrictions on Access: | public | |
| Host Institution: | UCF |
